


Together we’re stronger

by Rosemarie42



Series: A Different Take [1]
Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: AU, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brief mention of Gordon, F/M, Learning from mistakes, M/M, Multi, No Smut, Non con kissing, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, OFC - Freeform, Violence, dosing, talk of infidelity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-07-25 13:02:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16198088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosemarie42/pseuds/Rosemarie42
Summary: Aaron Dingle makes a wish for Robert Sugden to understand how hard it was for him coming out of prison and being betrayed. The wish comes through but it turns out they both have lessons to learn leading to unexpected discoveries about who they really are  and what they need to do to not repeat the mistakes of the past and fight tooth and nail for their future.





	1. The wish

**Author's Note:**

> New chapter every Week

Aaron Dingle shakes his head and laugh as he read his fortune cookie “I’ll grant you any wish, just close your eyes and wish it” 

Aaron closes his eyes and think for a moment this is so stupid, he thinks to himself, but why not it’s not like the wish can ever come through. He wishes his husband Robert could see just how bad it got with him after prison, and the baby wasn’t Roberts

Aaron finishes off the takeaway, clears the containers away and walk up the stairs two at a time to his and Roberts bedroom. He lies down, he knows there is no point waiting up for Robert to get back as his plane was delayed and it will be hours till he’s home again.

Roberts pov

Robert Sugden knew that last glass of red, was not a good idea, he found himself drifting off to sleep when he woke up, to his surprise he was in a prison cell, “Huh”, he said he couldn’t understand why he was in a cell did he cause an incident on the plane.

He turns to see a medium height teenager staring at him “Can you please tell me what I’m doing here, I don’t remember how I got here”, she smiles and look at him sweetly. “ My name is Abigail, I’ll be your guide on your journey”.

“Guide?, what journey?”

“Your husband made a wish, I can’t tell you what it was, but if you do this right you will realise for yourself what his wish was and only then will you be able to know what it is you need or needed to do”

Robert laughed “Is this a whine up? Did Cain Dingle put you up to this?”

“This is very much real”, she replies, each persons journey is different so I’m unsure how yours will unfold, when you have figured out why you’re here call me”. He nods his head and watches her disappear.

He watches the prison scene start up again, funny he didn’t remember it freezing when Abigail began to speak to him but clearly it had, how had he miss something so easy to see.

Robert sits on the lower bunk and turns as he hears the door open, Aaron walks in, suddenly Robert is overcome by shame and feelings of worthlessness and self doubt, he frowns wondering where those thoughts came from, he feels a sudden sting like a cut has opened up, he looks but there are no cuts.

He watches Aaron sit down next to him, raises his sweatshirt up and drag his nails into what look like a fresh cut on his stomach, Robert flinch from the pain but notices Aaron just ignores it and sits there doing everything to make the cut worse.

I’m still feeling, I don’t want to feel Robert thinks to himself, wait those aren’t my thoughts, then it hits him, he’s experiencing what Aaron is feeling.


	2. Realisations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert is about to learn something’s about Aaron he didn’t know before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a Rebecca mention but just briefly and some bullying and homophobic behaviour happening.

Robert cliches his chest “How is this possible?”  
“Why am I sharing his feelings?  
It’s then he hears Aaron’s cries and he feels like he can’t breathe, the pain he feels is overwhelming him, then suddenly he feels a need for a hit, Robert frowns a hit of what he wonders. Wait he says to himself I know how He feels, I should also be able to tap in to the reasons for why he feels this way. 

So Robert concentrates and listens, then it hits him, Aaron is upset that he’s in the cell his father was in, him and Liv was away from him, there was no one to have his back while he’s in here. He’s let himself down he worked so hard to get control of his anger issues only to reverted to type. He’s only been married a day and he’s got to pretend to not be for his safety, how the hell was he suppose to survive in here without the person who’s been his rock. I’m so glad I have his stupid shower gel, and a pair of his pants(how stupid is that he thinks)

“Oh shit” says Robert “Its his first day in jail no wonder he feels so hopeless. Robert reaches out a hand to place in on top of Aaron’s but nothing happens, Roberts just a passenger observing he cries for Aaron, he says to Aaron “ I’m so sorry you’re in your fathers cell, it’s beyond cruel, you worked so hard to put him behind you only to be slapped with a memory of him everyday”

Robert knows Aaron can’t hear it, but he felt the need to say it anyway. He watches Aaron as he get ready for bed and falls asleep. Suddenly Robert is in a corridor he see a group of guys pushing and slapping someone calling him fag, queer, taunting him about his dad, he watches as a prison guard breaks the fight up and see Aaron straighten up, Robert gasps when he sees Aaron’s face he takes in the bloody nose, the bruises around his eyes and vows to do everything in his power to get Aaron out of there before remembering for now he can only observe. 

The scene changes and he’s in a room with Aaron who’s in the middle of taking spice “You stupid man what are you doing that’s not going to help you” he shouts. Suddenly he feels relax, and has a feeling of euphoria and he realises the drug is taking effect so that’s why you take it Aaron he thinks to himself to forget. 

Robert finds himself in the visiting room looking at Aaron in a chair where opposite him his himself. He hears Aaron think to himself, I don’t get why he’s still here with me I’m nothing, I’m tainted, he deserve better, I need to let him go, as Robert listens to the conversation he realises this was the day, I thought we were over and I called Rebecca. 

He finds himself suddenly walking back with Aaron to his cell and he watches Aaron slide into his bed and cries. He hears Aaron’s thoughts saying fight for me, please fight for me, I don’t know why I said that, these stupid drugs are messing with my thinking, my mind is all over the place I need to get off them. I need my marriage to survive.

Robert feels guilty this is the night he got wasted and called Rebecca over and had sex with her, his husband was hurting and at that time he could only think about himself, his hurt, his pain. He had read up on spice once he found out Aaron was hooked on it so looking back he could see that a lot  
of Aaron’s behaviour was the drugs talking, he sighs it’s amazing the perspective you get long after a situation has pass, you see it clearer now than you could ever do back then.


	3. The truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron finally let Robert in, what is he hiding?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gordon is mentioned in this chapter briefly and their is violence as well
> 
> Hope you enjoy, chapter 4 is already written but I want to add another 1000 words. Hopefully I get a chance to post it this week

Aaron is asleep on his bed when he’s feels a hand shaking him and hears a woman voice telling him to wake up, “Get off he says” he bolts upright “Who the hell are you and why are you in my home?” He shouts.

“My name is Abigail, that wish you made on the fortune cookie as come true, Robert is currently going through your life and feeling and experiencing what you want him to know, he’s feeling every pain and sorrow you felt back then and knows your reasoning for what you did”.

Aaron takes that in for a second “So he knows how happy I was to see him after my release, how hurt his cheating with Rebecca made me feel”.

“I’m sorry Aaron all I know is that he’s still in the prison with you” she replies.

“But I don’t understand cries Aaron, my wish was for after prison not for him to see me like that in prison”.

She smiles sadly “There is something important that he needs to know about prison, that you don’t want him to find out, until he does he can’t move on in your memories. Let him in Aaron share it with him it’s important he knows about it, you want him to know very badly and at the same time want him to never find out”.

Aaron shifts uncomfortably on the bed, “ I never knew how to start the conversation with him”.  
Abigail nods “I know, but clearly you want to heal from it but until you both have that conversation you need to have, you can’t truly move on from it”

“I just realised”, says Arron . “If I open the memory to him, he will see it all, I don’t have to tell him, it’s so much easier to do it this way”.

“Aaron as you’re willing to open yourself up, I’m please to tell you that you have the choice of joining Robert through your memories, you will be able to touch and interact with each other as you do on a normal day to day basis, but he will still be experiencing the wish feelings as well as current ones”

Aaron nods, “Okay I want to do it, how do I get to him”  
Abigail smiles “I can do that, but the rules first, the memories you will both be observing has already been set in motion and can’t be change. However you can make Three memories come up that you want Robert to see with you there, just say first, second, third when you want each one to come up”.

“Oh Before I forget as you’re willing to do this, tell Robert he has 3 memories as well” say Abigail. Aaron smiles and nod at her. Abigail smiles in reply “I’ll see you later then Mr Sugden Dingle” she says before disappearing .

Aaron finds himself in his cell back when he was in prison and he sees Robert’s horror at  
Watching him strung out on spice. Aaron walks behind Robert and taps his shoulder  
Blade, Robert gasp at the connection, he holds his breathe when he sees Aaron and hugs him then turns around and see the other Aaron not moving.

“You’re real he says to Aaron”.  
“Yeah”, replies Aaron, I meet Abigail we talked, he then tells him all about their conversation, Robert listens and takes it all in. “It’s weird getting a different prospective of you and finding out things about you I didn’t know before”, says Robert “Aaron why didn’t you let us know about how bad it got, seeing you being beating up was horrific but feeling and knowing what you were thinking during it was worse”.

Aaron looks at his other self with pity and finds it odd that he could feel something for himself now, that he wouldn’t let others give him at the time.

“I know what my next memory is, once you see it, the journey through my memories will continue,”  
“Okay” replies Robert taking his hands and squeezing it, glad that he can at least give this Aaron support.

They close their eyes and when they open it, Aaron goes stiff next to Robert.  
‘ Livesy that’s your name isn’t it” says Jason, Robert and Aaron watches as the scene in front of them unfolds, Robert sees the punches land on Aaron, watches as he’s kick while he’s lying on the ground barely able to move, he sees each member of Jason’s group land punch after punch on Aaron he wants to turn away, but he knows it’s imperative he watches it all, he sees Aaron with his face turned from the scene, Robert takes Aaron in his arms and turn his full body away from the scene while he watches every moment and hears everything that’s said to Aaron.

Robert realises apart from the pain coming off of other Aaron, Younger Aaron thinks maybe I’m gay because of my father, did Jason really made my father kill himself, why am I suddenly remembering every touch of my father, then he feels nothing, no emotions, nothing. He realises it’s because Aaron has shut down his emotions.

Robert let go of Aaron and sinks to his knees and start throwing up, while alternating between that and weeping. Aaron takes in the scene before him, he sees the younger version of himself falling to the ground after trying to get up and see his husband in hysterics. 

“Aaron I’m so sorry that happened to you, if I could take that beating instead of you I would” says Robert “ in a heartbeat”. Aaron wipes the tears from his eyes “ This is the reason you haven’t moved on in my memories”, he replies, I wanted you to see this but was scared at the same time of you seeing it”.

Robert stands up and look at Aaron “Why didn’t you tell me about this”, he ask him  
“Truth-fully I was ashamed and embarrassed, ashamed that I allowed people to hurt me to that extent and didn’t fight them off enough, ashamed that I was having to tell you yet again I was weak”.

Robert smiles at him then look him straight in the eyes, I need you to listen to me “You didn’t allow anyone to hurt you, they didn’t have permission, they never had permission to hurt you like that, there was literally nothing you can have done, as soon as the words leave Roberts mouth, they find themselves outside the cell they were just in and see a person doing look out for the guards. Aaron gasp, “My cell mate was the lookout”.

“You were outnumbered Aaron and they made sure that no help was coming till they had their way with you. I need to ask did anyone of them ever?” Aaron’s eyes widen he knows what Robert was silently asking “No I was lucky in that respect they hated gays so much that they could never do that to me”.

Robert breathe out, the breathe he was silently holding, and thank every god he believes in that Aaron was spared that at least, he didn’t need that on top of what his father did to him. Then he says to Aaron “With everything we have been through why would you feel embarrass to tell me this, I would never think any less of you”. 

“I’m a child of abuse, I can have counselling and put the work in and truly move on from it, but the truth is, that circumstances will happen beyond my control that will bring it all back and take me back there and you could be a billionaire with a great family or even a counsellor, the point is no matter what you become you still find yourself going back to those memories and those feelings of worthless, do come back with a vengeance, for me this scene was when I started to take spice”.

“I used you as my anchor, but you weren’t in here with me, the family was worried about Sarah, I didn’t want to add to the worries, so much was going on with our families. I didn’t want to add to it”.

Robert shakes his head “Promise me that you will always communicate with me what’s going on with you. I literally felt your pain, I know what thoughts were going though your head, promise me that you will tell me when you’re feeling low, good or bad we work through it together, we communicate more. Whilst I can feel what other you feel, I only have what you tell me, I can’t feel your current emotions.

“Deal says Robert”  
“Deal” smiles Aaron, and kisses him then lace their fingers together.

Robert strokes Aaron’s jaw then put their foreheads together “Do you remember our conversation in the scrape yard after your family found out about Gordon”. Aaron nods his head you told me “ I was the strongest person you knew”.

“You’ve still the strongest person I know, always remember that, I remember after the verdict what you said outside the pub a guilty verdict doesn’t take away the memories. You got a sister out of it, as bad as the trial was, you showed a strength that I admired greatly and you didn’t cut yourself, you didn’t give the bastard that”. Robert raises Aaron’s hands to his lips and kisses them. 

Aaron watches Robert brace himself to say something but was unprepared for what came out of his mouth.

“Thank you for opening up and showing me this part of yourself, I want to do the same to you”  
Aaron stills ”Ok”

“You know about me and the Whites, but there is a time in my life you don’t know about” before Aaron could say anything he heard Robert whispers “First”.


	4. Robert’s missing years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron learns more than he ever as about Robert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor is introduce in this chapter and we learn how Robert survived on his own before meeting the whites. There is talk of prostitution in this chapter

They find themselves on a street corner on a street with what look to be some nice houses, “People think prostitution only happens in massage parlours and in poor neighbourhoods” says Robert “ they’re wrong most of the johns I had, I got standing on this street corner”.

“ You sold yourself” says Aaron  
“For a time yes, it was the only way to eat or so I thought at first, I only did it for eighteen months”

Aaron watches a younger Robert, skinner than he had ever seen him, walk over to a car and start talking to the older balding man sitting in the front seat, he frowns surprise to see a middle age women in the car as well next to him.

“They are asking me what I will do and won’t do and we are working out the price, let’s walk over I can’t remember what I charged” . Aaron is taken back by Roberts words but says nothing. He walks over with Robert, they watch the younger Robert straighten up and bangs the car roof with one of his hands then it drives to a alleyway and all three of them follow it. The two older men watch the women in the car put her hands out to the young man and count £50 who takes it in his outstretched hand.

“Let’s go to my flat, its round the corner” Robert realises something as they walk, “This is the first memory I’ve had so far that I’ve been able to move around in”.

They get to Roberts’ flat and walk through the door, Aaron look around, to say the place was basic would be an understatement it was a bedsit with a big room with a mattress, a sofa and a tv in it. He leaves that room and look around more, there was a bathroom and a kitchen off the hallway to the right.

“I didn’t have any food in the house on this day, literally the water in the tap is all there was for me food wise at this point in my life” says Robert. Aaron turns around he had been so shock by what he had seen and heard so far, he turned suddenly on hearing Robert’s voice, he didn’t hear Robert’s footsteps as he walked to him. 

Aaron squeezes Roberts hands, Robert smiles sadly at him 

“When I left home I had some money, I found this flat that I could afford payed first and last rent and got a job working in a supermarket stacking shelfs, which if I remember correctly I still did up to this point” Aaron opens his mouth to speak “ I know what you want to ask” Robert says sadly but while I manage to get this flat, I haven’t got my first pay check yet, I didn’t really know about paying bills and it took me a while to find this flat, I spent a great deal of money on hotels before I found this place. My next door neighbour at this time Connor is a rent boy we got talking and realise we had a lot in common, disappointed fathers among other things, he told me what he did I didn’t care, in a lot of ways he saved my life”. 

“How did he help you” reply Aaron, he sat me down and explain the different companies I needed to get in touch with and bills that always needed to be payed no matter what, like the tv licence”.

“He helped me to do a budget, he knew a friend who worked at the supermarket I worked at and persuaded them to give me a full time job instead of the part-time one I had at the time”. He came over to this flat one night on his way home from a club, I let him in he close my front door came into the front room saw what I had in the apartment, he walked to the fridge opened it saw a loaf of bread and margarine only. He opened his wallet and gave me £100 and told me to buy some food and try to keep the rest for bus fares as he noticed me walking to work one day. And “ I quote keep the damn bread out the fridge and keep it in the freezer and take out the slices each day that I wanted if I was trying to make the bread not go off quicker, before hugging me and leaving.

“He sounded like a sound bloke” says Aaron  
“He really is” “replies Robert

I asked him one day if he had any clients that he though I may get on with, he looked shocked and said no, but I followed him one day when he left, I knew he worked at a very nice nightclub which was very exclusive and a knocking shop so I ran into the club front door when it opened for him, he tried to get me to leave but I stayed and met a nice couple the Martins who’s company I enjoyed, the husband is impotent and wanted his wife to enjoy a sex life, so I got payed to give her one, they were the only people I did that with at that club, it became a long-standing agreement between the 3 of us, all I had to do was get a clear sti panel, before we started the wife got one as well.  
I instead if I know I couldn’t pass on any diseases to her I should have the same assurance and they agreed, I was with them for 2 months in that time they always gave me £50 at the start then afterwards the other £1500, even then I was cocksure enough to know my worth. They left the area but had another couple they though I may like the were right”.

“I was able to save money has time when by, some of the couples I met were rich or well off, I was offered jobs in their companies, some offers I took up some I didn’t  
I started learning admin and moved to sales, realised I was very good at sales, made more money than I had ever seen in my life and quit the sex selling business”

“I Got a job as a trainee stock broker and enjoyed it for a while even made some investments of my own. Went to a party one night where I met the whites I knew the old man had a thing for me straight away. You know where I met the whites but I didn’t tell you that I had heard of them from before because of one of my former couples.

I sweet talked Lawrence into hiring me, and got to work on getting one of his daughters to be desperate to marry me. My couples would lavish me with the finest clothes and take me to the best restaurants, I got use to the taste of the finer things in life. One of my very rich couples even payed for a luxury apartment for me in a nice part of town, all I had to do was let the husband watch me have sex with his wife, apart from my first couple, they were the only ones, I did that with”.

Even though years pass since my escort days before I met the whites, my taste for the finer things in life stay and I had a contact check them out when I realise the amount of money they had I saw my in into a world that I didn’t have to charge for to be involved in, I may have started out in an relationship with Chrissie for her money but I did love her, in a way. I mean I’m in love with you Aaron and always will be, but she grew on me and I will always remember her fondly”.

“What about Rebecca” says Aaron  
“I never had feelings for her, she was just someone who was constantly offering herself up on a plate to me, I think she was jealous of her sister and wanted what she had including me”.

“You have to know Aaron that since she came to town and started throwing herself at me I always told her no, it wasn’t until I was drunk that I sleep with her”.

“I believe you” replies Aaron .

“I’m not proud of that time in my life Aaron but at that point I wasn’t really into my feelings, I switched them off until I realise I liked the money and the power I had over these people”. 

 

To say Aaron is floored is an understatement “Robert thank you for telling me, I’m not gonna lie I’m shocked”. I see you in such a different light”.

“You had to be strong to do this time of work”.

“ Is this were your money obsession started said Aaron?” 

“I realised then that I had to make sure that I always had money in the bank, Connor always said to me, bills is always paid first, then food, then savings then whatever is left over you can do whatever you want with it” Robert said.

“Maybe it’s just me but I would’ve thought food first says Aaron”  
Robert smiles, “I asked him the same thing he said which is better food and no roof over your head or a roof over your head and food that if you’re creative enough you can find or get.” Replies Robert.

Aaron turns Robert head to see him better, “You did what you had to do to survive and you’ve came through it, no one will ever find this out about you from me”. 

“I know you Robert, you kept quite about this from Victoria and Diane, knowing how Jack was to you, and seeing how Diane always favoured Andy over you, I can see why they should never know.  
Aaron looks him straight in the eyes “Thank you for opening up to me and letting me in”, he says as he smiles at him.

Robert hugs him and whisperers in his ear I’m so lucky to have you, I love you so much”  
“We’re lucky to have each other”says Aaron. 

“I got to ask did any of the husbands wanted to sleep with you or to do a threesome”  
“Loads of them did but they were a lot of the times nearly twice my age and with the beating I got from my father I couldn’t do it” says Robert .

“Once I settled down and had this flat decked out really lovely and no longer had money worries I went to a club in the heart of the gay village, knowing there was little chance of a bloke I may chat up being straight there and bit the bullet started meeting some great people who become good friends after realising that’s all we were ever meant to be. Saw a guy I liked one night took him home and we had sex and from then on out, it was relationships with women and sex with men on the side” he tells Aaron.

“I tried not to sleep with a bloke more than once, unfortunately I had a situation where the guy I slept with twice found out I was in a relationship with a women and tried to blackmail me” Robert quietly states,

“That’s why after our first time together you thought I was trying to blackmail you”  
“Yes” reply Robert.

“ I meet some pretty ruthless people in my time, all those rich clients in my escort days didn’t get where they were by being naïve, with what I did for a living some of them gave me contacts to the criminal world should I get in trouble to use and I gladly took them, I was making their wives happy they were more that happy to help me”

 

Robert thinks how lucky he is that there is no judgement in Aaron’s eyes, just understanding and love.  
He bites his lips and say, “When I started sleeping with these woman, I felt dirty as it was money for sex, that fact doesn’t change, as time when on I started seeing the clients as opportunities and use those people to crawl my way out of this apartment”.

“I still have days where I think I need to make sure that I always have money, so I never have to go back to those days. When I think of those couples I met and I got on with, I had to earn their trust and until I did those first few meetings always was on that street corner. It was only later when through word of mouth and former clients vouching for me that my first meetings starting being at hotels or at their homes it took a while but through word of mouth I stop having to meet people at first in that alley. It’s the alleys I remember more than the houses and hotels.

They just stand there holding each other touching their foreheads together.

Suddenly they’re back in the prison, they break apart and sees Aaron’s younger self and a priest that Robert doesn’t know he looks over at Aaron for an explanation. “This is father”, says Aaron 


	5. Learning new things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron takes Robert to see him and Rebecca talking which leaves Robert wondering about some things, this chapter is emotional, memories spoken by younger characters are in bold.
> 
> I have already started on chapter 7.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this so far comments always welcome thanks for the kudos as well. Chapter 6 has already been written I think it will surprise some of you guys, working on chapter 7 now. I’m hoping to post chapter 6 tomorrow. Robert has 1 memory left and Aaron has 2 what would you like them to share with each other?

Robert turn to look back at Aaron. “Father Aiden help me see that drugs weren’t the best way to cope with things in here”.

Father Aiden started talking they listen as the priest says “ So what I can spit on half a dozen people who feels the same “ Robert latches on to younger Aaron’s thoughts he feels, rage, understanding, shame and worry.

Aaron speaks as they both watch the scene unfold, when I first met him he tried to help me but I implied priests were no better than my father, “he” Aaron points to the priest made sure in no uncertain terms I knew he didn’t appreciate my saying that”.

“I was in here going through hell and he offered me guidance and I spat on his offer but eventually I came round and at the time he was brutal and harsh, I couldn’t see beyond my pain and my situation at first but he mentored me and with his help I was able to find the strength to come off the spice. I will always be gratefully to him for the help he gave me”.

“I called you that night to tell you how bad prison was, but Liv was on the phone and I bottled it, but despite everything, I didn’t leave prison as a broken man, I had a family, you and Liv to come home to, I was happy” said Aaron.

Robert take his hand and squeezes it, “I’m glad there was someone here for you”

Aaron turns to him there is something I want to show you” First” he whispers 

They find themselves in a room with a younger Aaron and Rebecca. 

Rebecca says to Arron “You should leave him, he’s no good for you, you’re better off without him”

Robert doesn’t need to know what Aaron is feeling, he’s angry just listening to her speak, he hears the unspoken he will be better off with me, and I’m much better for him than you will ever be. Robert turns to younger Aaron it would seem he got the unspoken message as well.

Suddenly Aaron speaks “When I walked into that Mill and saw the work you did for our home I was so proud of you and was happy we could start our married life a fresh, you worked so hard to get me out of prison. I was feeling so positive and for a few moments in time I was. I knew something seemed a bit off with you”.

“Aaron I’m so sorry that I slept with her, if I can take it back I would”

“Be honest with me Robert, would you”

“Of course I hurt you so much, I caused you so much pain”, cries Robert 

“You still did her though, she try to humiliate me in front of my family at Cain’s birthday party, she chased after you like a dog in heat and instead of stopping the interactions with her you continue seeing her”.

“I had to get Andy free, I needed her”

“No, Robert you are Robert Sugden you would have found another way for the truth to come out, you gave her no boundaries to respect, she saw what she wanted and took it, “ You”. 

“Tell me did she flattered your ego, Robert?.

“Aaron, stop it, it wasn’t like that I always turn her advances down. It was one time when I was drunk”. 

“I thought we got pass all this, Aaron we moved on we got married you’re adopting Seb”

“If I did we wouldn’t be here now Robert”

“Have you been lying to me all this time Aaron, were you pretending to forgive me all this time Aaron”m cries Robert.

Aaron look Robert in the eyes, “I love you Robert, I really do but you’re seeing it from your prospective”.

“Remember why you’re here, feel younger me, feel every emotion I’m feeling looking at this bitch, I know who has been chasing after you and now has a baby coming with you. A permanent bond with you I’ll never have, watch the gloating and the smile on her face as she talks to me, look at my body language, LOOK AT ME, FEEL MY PAIN ROBERT” screams Aaron. 

Robert try to walk up to the younger figures but his feet don’t move.

He’s suddenly lifted in the air and thrown back on the floor.

He lifts his head and watch as Rebecca put a hand to her stomach, as Aaron brings up the topic of her sleeping with Robert.

Robert starts rocking back and forth and looks at Aaron “She looks so smug and I’m pretty sure there was nothing wrong with the baby, she just didn’t want to talk about it with you. It’s pretty convenient that she felt pain at that exact moment”, said Robert standing up now a look of determination on his face.

Aaron stares at Robert “She made sure after that incident that everyone knew I was the cause of her needing the hospital, look how more attentive you were to her”. Aaron goes over to Robert, takes is hand and says “Share”.

Robert gasp as he see’s him and Rebecca situation from Aaron’s point of view from coming out of prison to seb’s birth but he notices as each image goes by he’s literally Aaron, no longer just an observer and he wonders what are the chances a car breaks down twice on the way to the hospital with Rebecca involved both times, how it looks like him and her are together as a couple, how Rebecca never said thanks to Aaron for taking her to the hospital after Sebs birth, he hears people gossiping as he walks into various places how great it is that Rebecca and Robert seem like such a great couple and how the icing on the cake for them, will be the birth of their baby. When Seb is born he hears people say how wonderful and what a great family they are. 

I don’t want to see anymore, “ no more” , cries Robert ,

“ Please no more” say Robert. Aaron kneels down beside him and takes his hand and the images stop.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know that she was manipulating people, things and situation to that level, even brain damaged she makes sure to tell you that Seb his hers Aaron, and he will never be yours”.

“ I will ask again Robert, do you regret sleeping with her?”

“When you asked me before I didn’t because, I got seb out of it, I can’t regret him, I regret how he was conceived but I don’t regret him”.

“There is not ever a time I look at him and don’t see your infidelity, and I’m not going to ask you to choose between me and him. 

“ Ask me again says Robert smiling “ If I regret what I did with her”

“Yeah” replies Aaron

Aaron clears his throat, and prepare to speak but Robert cut him off before he actually speaks.

“Yes, I do regret sleeping with her, if I can talk it back I would, you were right, I treated you very badly and she is someone that shouldn’t have been allowed the place she has now. I’m curious though, you and I have been through a lot, your dad, Chrissie, I never cheated on you in all that time, I supported you through Gordon, and the trial, you me and liv became a family, I wanted us to have our own family one day, but not this way.

You were the first person I met, who said to me you’re very much wanted and you not only belong here but you can be whatever you want to be. I never needed to wonder if I was good enough for you, I saw the love in your eyes when you look at me”.

“We can only learn and grow, she clearly enjoyed having one over on you in this case Seb, she put you in a situation you were not only uncomfortable with, but you were then force to help her. You never should have had to deal with that situation” Roberts says looking at the younger version of Aron and Rebecca as the scene keeps replaying.

Having look through your memories there is a date I want to go back to something feels odd, but I don’t want to insult you if you say no, then I will understand and we’ll go to something else.

“What date is it” ask Aaron?”

“It’s the day I slept with Rebecca I literally don’t remember calling her over, and I found it odd she didn’t stay the night, the way she so aggressively pursue me from she came to emmerdale I find that odd”.

“Ok”, says Aaron let’s do this.

“Twice,” says Robert


	6. The ONS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert go to the night of the ONS and see how it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the tags. Everything isn’t as it may seem.

Aaron and Robert find themselves in their bedroom in the mill, they watch Robert enter the room with a bottle of whisky in his hands they then watch as he takes sip after sip after sip.

“You look so broken” says Aaron, “ I’ve never seen you like this, tell me about this day, I mean I know you came to see me and I kinda dump you, I knew she comes by soon but there is a reason we are here before she is”

“Liv wasn’t going to school, the school was calling she got suspended, I was dealing with the scrap yard being a man down, your solicitor and knowing you were on drugs in a place were being gay was going to get you a kicking and trying to be upbeat for you, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about all that, I was expected to cope for you”

Aaron hugs Robert “ Thank you for doing all that for me” whispers Aaron in his ears. 

“I didn’t realise how much pressure you were under, and if I’m being honest the way I was strung out on drugs if you had told me all this I wouldn’t have cared back then”, says Aaron “The drugs were all I cared about”

“I’m sorry again because I couldn’t control my temper, I ended up in jail and you were left to care for a delinquent child, I appreciate how you took care of liv and how you tried to hold it all together while I was banged upl, says Aaron.

“When I think of how she did so well in her GCSE’s and now she’s at college and working hard to get into university to do her art degree, I’m truly grateful you’re in both our lives”.

They watch a crying, Robert talking to himself and take a swig of the whisky.

Aaron hates seeing Robert like this, but in a way he’s glad because he sees just how much pain he was in and he starts to see him in a different light, he realises how strong Robert is. He was forced to cope with some horrible things and he did it. He needed to see the pain that Robert was in back then, his heart arches for him. 

He finds it ironic that his jealously of Rebecca adversely cause the loss of his temper, and lead to him going to Jail and his husband cheating with her. 

Robert looks around like he hears something, Aaron looks surprise he doesn’t hear anything Robert mentions to follow him Aaron does, Robert leads them to the front door, they hear it open and quickly run to hide from sight, Aaron doesn’t understand why they’re hiding but he goes along with Robert.

“Hello” they hear the younger Rebecca say, they don’t hear younger Robert reply.

They watch as Rebecca goes into the kitchen and take something out her bag , it seems to Aaron like herbs, then they watch her add a drop of something from a pipette shake the mixture and pours the mixture into a glass, and it becomes a clear liquid. She takes the glass and goes in search of Robert when she seems him she goes over to him and says “You look terrible, here have some water, I saw you earlier you looked upset, thought I may find you here like this, she says to him”.

Robert takes the glass and drinks it, suddenly Rebecca starts laughing. Aaron and older Robert who had follow behind Rebecca discreetly look at each other as if to say what the hell.

Suddenly younger Robert starts talking about him and Aaron and all the problems they are having, they notice that younger Robert seems out of it, Rebecca is asking him extremely personal questions like what his relationship is like with different members of his family, they hear her ask him what happened today, to cause him to drink, they listen as younger Robert recounts his day. 

Then she takes the glass from Roberts hands and ask him to see his phone, they watch open mouth while he gives his phone to her, they watch her type as she types she talks to herself 

“Mmmm, come over I need to talk to you” she says as she types a message then watch as she finishes typing take her phone out her bag waiting staring at it as if she is waiting on something to happen with it, they hear a beep and watches as she smiles when she open what they assume his a message on her phone.

They watch as she kisses Robert, and tries to seduce him, and they see him try to resist her as if he’s fighting something, “ seriously” says Rebecca, “I don’t understand, it should have worked, no one as ever resisted me before”.

She seems furious, younger Robert seems to be coming round from whatever it was she gave him, “Rebecca, what are you doing here?” ask the younger Robert. “That doesn’t matter” she sneers at him “You won’t remember anything about this tomorrow”

She tries to kiss him again, “No” says Robert 

“Damn it” says Rebecca, “The rumours can’t be true, I need to think, I can still salvage this. 

She suddenly looks scared, she rubs her forehead with her hands and start pacing the room. 

“I have to follow through with this but the consequences of me not taking your no into consideration are dire for me”, she says as she sights “But I have to follow through, I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t”. 

She turns around and is surprise to see that younger Robert has fallen asleep she undresses him and arrange the sheets, pillows and the room to look like the bed was used for sex and leaves her car keys by the night stand. She leaves the room and Aaron and Robert go over to the bed and watch the sleeping man. 

They turn when they hear a gasp, Rebecca has come back into the room and she stares at them, where they are standing as if she can seem them she starts to tremble as she leaves the room.

“She sent a text from my phone to hers, I heard her as she was talking”, says Robert.

“She was whispering so low, how could you hear that low? Replies Aaron 

“I just did” says Robert, it was clear that’s what the routine with the phone was about”

“Yeah I had thought that as well watching her, you do realise you never had sex with her don’t you”, says Aaron. Robert starts to cry “I never slept with her, but the next day she made me feel like I used her for sex, she came round thinking I wanted to have a relationship with her when I told her no I didn’t want one, I used her for sex, she was extremely angry”

Aaron comforts Robert, I’m so sorry she did that to you, Seb isn’t mine, she knew Seb wasn’t mine. I have been paying out for a child that wasn’t mine” roars Robert. When seb was born I thanked her for giving me my perfect son”, Aaron flinches hearing that.

“My sister chose her someone she barley knew over me when Rebecca announced her pregnancy, she took her side with everything, she became good friends with her and Vic was your friend for a long time but she choose her over us so many times, and I kept forgiving her as she was my sister but even she betrayed me”.

“It’s funny I started off not liking my son and now I love him and he’s not even mine, she really played me for a fool. She got exactly what she wanted me and a baby.” “But she doesn’t have you Robert”, says Aaron, “she doesn’t”, insist Aaron. “She will pay for this when this is all over” says Robert.

“ I need to think”, says Robert “I can’t do any more of your memories for a while, what I wouldn’t give to see the beach right now, right now a cabin by a lake would be so good I need to think I need freedom, I need to run”, says Robert 

“Ok” says Aaron “There is a lot to take in right now, she drugged you, something is off with her, really off, we need to recharge, have a breather”. 

Aaron suddenly stands up and seems to be concentrating, Robert watches him, suddenly Robert feels sand under his foot he looks down and his surprise to see he is barefooted. 

He hears Arron says “It is done” and look at him. Aaron holds his hands and says “Turn around” when he does Robert sees a cabin in front of him with a large pouch, he looks around and sees a forest surrounding the cabin on all sides. Just what I need he thinks as he smiles to himself.

Hand in hand they walk up to the cabin and are both surprised to see it being open by Abigail. “Hi dads”, she says looking at Aaron, “Hey pops” she says to Robert. They both grape at her open mouth.


	7. Abigail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet their daughter properly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abigail and the boys talk and Robert and Aaron deal with the bombshells of the previous chapter

“What” says both men together, “We don’t have a daughter, clearly this has got to be a dream within a dream” says Aaron.

Abigail shakes her head “Unfortunatly this isn’t a dream, this is real dads, you’re waking up, something must have happen that woke both of you up, we have waited many years for this to happen”.

“What do you mean we”, says Robert walking up to her and facing her directly.

“I can’t tell you that pop literally, you have to figure it out, you can tell if I’m lying”

Robert studies her, “I don’t know how but I know you’re telling the truth”

Abigail side steps Robert and runs to greet Aaron, as he’s walking up the steps, behind him, she hugs him and whispers “I miss you so much dad“. 

Aaron returns her hug and catches Roberts eyes over her shoulder.

“Let’s go inside the house” says Robert “I need a sit down”, they all walk inside the house together. 

Both Aaron and Robert stop suddenly at the door they look around the room and realise that the interiors are exactly like the mill.

“What the hell!” says Aaron as he turns to see a wide eyed Robert taking the surroundings in as well.

Abigail takes one of their hands each and drag them over to the sofa, “Come on dads we don’t have much time” they all sit down.

There is only so much I can tell you, for now “I’ll say this much you’re not sleeping and dreaming this”, she says as she waves a hand to indicate the room where they are. With regards to Emmerdale, your life there is real, but there is more but you have to finish what you started here dads, this wish is your fail safe. 

“Dads you both subconsciously realised that something of cataclysmic portion was going to happen and set in motion the fail safe you put in place to stop it, years ago.

“My wish is a fail safe?” says Aaron, “it makes no sense”.

Abigail touches Roberts arm as she turns to him you made a wish as well pops but I’m not allowed to tell dad what that is and I know that you’ve been trying to tell dad about it but something prevents you from doing so, don’t worried you will be able to tell him just not now”

Aaron leans over Abigail who’s sitting between him and Robert on the sofa “You made a wish too, I didn’t know that, maybe something has gone wrong with it, because we seem to be doing my wish only”. 

Robert smiles at Aaron takes is hand and says to him “I’m okay with how things are going so far”.

“There is something I need to tell you, your memories as you can see for yourself is like a video being played. It replays itself if you don’t move on to the next one quick enough, but the specific ones are very much real you go back in time to those ones, you are able to move, interact with it” says Abigail.

“My last memory I though the person could see us”, says Robert 

“I thought that as well” says Aaron, “Rebecca was looking at us like she could see us”

“Did she say anything at all” ask Abigail “No she just started trembling and left the room”

“Good” says Abigail after a beat, hopefully she is as dumb as I think she is and wouldn’t have alerted anyone”

She stands up facing her parents it was so good to see you again, she goes and hugs Robert “I’ve missed you so much pops”,she says

She steps back and straightens up “Right now, I’m a stranger to you, but hopefully it won’t be that way for long. You will see me again, maybe in this house again, I’m not too sure about that, but we will meet again in my official capacity as your guide, please address me as such as a stranger to you when next we meet”. 

They both nod their heads at her.

“I’ll let you both rest now, “I know how grumpy you both get when you want some r & r especially you pops”, she smiles at Robert.

She turns her head to Aaron, “The fridge is stock exactly like your current one is, I’ve made sure there is lots of bread I know how you like your toast. “Hey dad”, she says to Arron “What would you like to eat right now “ 

“Pizza”, he replies without thinking, she smiles can I hug both of you one more time they nod and get off the sofa and envelop her into a hug she cries as she steps back from them. “I love you both so much” she says before she turns and walk out the door closing it behind her. They watch her leave sadly.

Aaron turns to go to the fridge he stops short when he notices a pizza takeaway box he opens it to find a half steaming pepperoni and half meat lovers pizza his and Roberts favourite on the kitchen table.

Aaron goes to the fridge and take two bottle of beers out, he opens them, then hands one to Robert who takes a seat at the table, Aaron joins him.

“So scale of one to ten how freak out are you right now?” ask Aaron 

“I’ve passed freaked out and have gone to wtf, I’ve a daughter I’ve never met till today and judging by how she was clinging to us, she’s had to spent a long time away from us”, says robert

“I know we need to talk and process things but I just want to eat and sleep, we’ll talk when we wake up is that okay with you? Ask Aaron looking at Robert who nods his reply.

They each take a bite of a slice of their pizza and drink their beer before finishing them both off and head up the spiral staircase when they get to their bedroom they fall on the bed with Robert putting an arm round Aaron as they turn on their sides on the bed, they drift off to sleep.

Aaron wakes up on his back he stretches an arm out for Robert but finds an empty spot where he should be, he heads for the bathroom where he pees, washes his hands and brushes his teeth. He then heads downstairs where he finds Robert making breakfast.

“Morning” says Robert “ I’m almost done here, can you put some toast on and set the table please”  
Aaron put some toast on then walks over to the fridge and get the butter out then lay the table, soon they were both sitting down to a breakfast of eggs and bacon, orange juice and toast. 

“So”, saids Aaron I never thought making a joke wish would come true, and lead to me sitting in the mill with you, well I say that but it’s not really the mill”.

“ I wouldn’t know where to start with this weird situation” replies Robert “One minute I’m asleep on the plane the next I’m in your memories, if that’s not weird enough I’m not only feeling your pass emotions and know your reasonings about an awful period in our lives but Seb isn’t mine, Rebecca clearly drugged me and I’m beginning to think she isn’t human”.

“Let me add to that” says Aaron “We have a daughter, I don’t know how I know but she’s definitely ours”

“Yes, she’s definitely ours I can sense it” says Robert “She wasn’t lying and apparently she can do magic just like her dad it would seem” says Robert staring at him.

“I didn’t know what I was doing” says Aaron “I just knew I was very angry with you and needed you to see just how horrible Rebecca was when you weren’t around, I think it was me throwing you into the air I didn’t mean to hurt you”

“It’s okay” says Robert you didn’t know what you were doing”

“Maybe subconsciously I did” replies Aaron. 

“It’s weird when I said I wanted a break this house was exactly what I pictured in my mind, says Robert did you magic it or just take us here and if you took us here, when was it build and why was it it my mind have we been here before?”

Aaron shakes his head, “ I think things will become clearer as we progress through my memories but maybe we can somehow use some of our wishes to go back and see what this safe place is about”

“Hopefully” says Robert, “ Abigail seemed like she wanted to tell us more, but couldn’t, and they were your rules, do you think we have another set of memories that we can’t access”

“I truly believe so” replies Aaron

“I see we went down the traditional Dingle route for naming our kid”, smiles Robert 

“Speaking of kids, what do we do about Seb?, he isn’t yours”. 

“What Rebecca did was unforgivable but if and when we go back to our mill he will be there, the paperwork was started for his adoption today or yesterday I’m not sure about the time here. There is a kid that depends on us cause it’s mother has a brain injury. A mother that has been clinging to us like an octopus using your supposed son to force herself into almost all aspect of our lives, hell she pushed for the adoption a lot didn’t she?

“Looking at it all with new eyes I wonder if she actually does have a brain injury, and why is she so keen for you to adopt him, my supposed son?..

Aaron sighs “Who knows, time will tell I suppose”.

“When that bitch told me Chas slapped her after I confessed my infidelity to your mom, I apologised to her that she got slap”, says Robert while seething.

“Let’s go on and continue, whatever this is, because clearly it’s more that going through my memories”

Suddenly they find themselves in the real mill and they find themselves watching there younger selves enter the mill.


	8. The other mill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are force to confront some issues in their marriage when they find themselves in the mill on the day of Aaron’s release from prison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very dialogue heavy Aaron and Robert finally have the everything in the open talk about the baby and how he came about.
> 
> Aaron and Robert did legally marry before he went to prison for the purpose of this story, while some things will be canon it will be only for moving the story on, some things will change about their story.

“Judging by the clothes its the day I’ve come out of prison” says Aaron

“If I remember correctly you have just had a panic attack and ran out of your party in the wool pack, 

“Yeah I remember Cain coming over and asking me how it was for me inside , when I told him that there were beatings he told me it was expected, it was prison after all and it felt kind of dismissive to me then watching Rebecca laughing and joking at my welcome home party, then her bumping into me, like she wanted me to know she was there”.

“You hit me when I came after you remember”

“Yeah I remember, while having my panic attack I thought for a moment I was back in prison and your hand was someone else’s. I apologised to you”.

“I then apologise to you, but clearly it was my guilt getting the better of me because I knew at the time I slept with Rebecca it was eating away at me”, says Robert 

“But when we got here, you told me how bad prison was for you, how you were in Gordon’s cell, how it affected you”

“Feel what I was feeling” then Robert, 

So Robert concentrates and feels it all, he steps back “Its completely different feeling from your perspective while watching it replay I get a better insight into you”

“I glad we talked here and had a realistic conversation about what was going on with me, you were in a lot of pain, pain I had no idea was so bad till then.

They listen to their younger selves talk, Aaron says “Why do I do it” 

Robert replies “Because you’ve got some problems, we all have but we’re gonna fix yours whatever it takes”.

“ You said everything was gonna be perfect, but you knew the Rebecca bombshell was gonna hit, she was gonna tell me out of spite if you didn’t. She didn’t spent all that time pursuing you to just give up on you, she was determined to have you one way or another and you were too focus on concealing your guilt to realise she was playing with you”

“We really talked in a way that night that we hadn’t since the scrap yard where you told me I was the strongest person you knew, I was very grateful to you that day as you showed me such compassion”

“That night I felt free both from prison and my pretending that as I was now out of prison I would be ok. I didn’t realise how much physiological and emotional help I truly needed to deal with the trauma of both my father and my ordeal in prison”. 

“It felt so good to say I needed help, no need to pretend to be tough, be the hard man. It felt so good knowing I didn’t have to look over my shoulders anymore there was no beatings that I was dreading coming the next day, there was no father’s cell to be in to feel the imprint of a memory of his hands all over me, his breathe on my skin”

I’m glad I kicked the drugs habit before I left, he may have hurt me, but he couldn’t destroy me”. I may have come out of prison more damaged than when I went in but there was no addiction to add to it”.

“I have noticed a recurring theme with me, I don’t ask people for help when I need it, I don’t tell people what’s going on with me instead I self destruct using drugs, cutting and even running. I don’t see my self as important enough, I always put other people’s needs before mine, I dated a bloke I couldn’t stand to make my mum and sister happy”

“ I didn’t want seb in my life but I gritted my teeth and bore it while being unhappy. The product of your “cheating” was in my life. I went ahead and watched as the women who slept in my martial bed before I did waltz in and out of our martial home like she has every right to be here. I watched you love your son while I hated him, I even went along with the adoption to make you happy, the bitch you cheated with wanted me to adopt her bastard child and I said sure instead of sling your hook”.

“ I resented you so much for forcing this situation on me Robert and hated myself that I couldn’t love a child. After all I’ve been through I couldn’t and wouldn’t allow myself to love him. I loved us and as I watch this scene replay I can say I’m glad I got counselling”

“But the truth his Robert I did get a better handle on things, I was going through but when I got back together with you it felt like I was going backwards. In order to be with you I had to accept seb and by extension Rebecca a women who has treated me appallingly who has said some pretty offensive, biophobic and homophobic things to the both of us. I know now you didn’t sleep with her but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how you would sleep with someone like that when it took you so long to accept yourself, to be at peace with who you are”

“Aaron I’m so proud of you, when I look at you here, all I think is the fact that you’re standing is a testament to how strong you really are” 

“I was hiding things about me and Rebecca from you, she threaten to tell you that day. Once we got home and you were so grateful to me for the work I did at the mil, I felt like absolute shit cause I knew I had betrayed you, then finding out how bad prison was for you, that you felt like spice for a while was the only way you could cope with life inside and how wrong I got it we weren’t over but the truth is Aaron I should have never gone near her”

“ I can’t use what you said to me at that prison visit as an excuse for what I did. What I did was indefensible, and my joy at having seb in my life became at times more important that our relationship. I put you second at times because he was my son, if I’m being honest even Rebecca as the mother of my child became more important in my eyes, because I had someone to carry my genes on”. 

“I’m truly sorry for putting my needs and the needs of the women I cheated on you with first at times in our marriage. I was so caught up in my son I didn’t think how it was really affecting you”. 

Robert turns and look him straight in the eyes “I’m truly sorry, you came out of prison and instead of a happy marriage there was brokenness because of my lies and deceit”

“You’re right” replies Aaron but in the end it was you that told me the truth, she didn’t get that chance, you did the right thing. I chose to stay in the marriage because I truly wanted to and I wholeheartedly except your apologies.

They both suddenly felt a tug in their chest, that’s weird says Aaron my chest feels like something is tugging on it”

“I felt a tug as well” says Robert “I wonder what it means?”

“ Watching this scene and seeing how unhappy it was and how it went from a great picnic the next day to happiness to great for a bit then the sleeping together bombshell then the baby one. I realise now I gave her to much importance says Robert .

“I don’t care, I have a daughter and magic and we’re finally truly communicating, I don’t knew what the hell is going on now, or where we are but I’m happy I made this wish otherwise we would have been living with several lies in our life” replies Aaron 

“I know what you mean, I just want to deal with our issues and go forward together as an unbreakable unit. Cut the dead wood out of our lives”.

Robert hugs Aaron and Buries his nose in his neck and breathe his scent in. They stay like that for a few minutes enjoying the feeling of being unburden and light.

Aaron steps back since we’re concentrating on our relationship only from now on, I want to show you a positive moment for me.

Robert laces their hands together and turn to kiss Aaron who sinks into the kiss a feeling of contentment washing over him.

Aaron breaks from the kiss and whispers “Twice”

They find themselves in the village in front of them is a younger Aaron with Jason.


	9. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron tells Robert about a time he felt empowered leading Robert to realise he should never underestimate him and the boys meet Chas twice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy I wanted a chapter were Robert come to realise that trying to save Aaron isn’t always a good thing sometimes aaron needs to save himself. Chapter 10 will be posted on Thursday.

“Pause “says Aaron “Holy shit the scene pause, I didn’t think it would work”

Robert look at him “Did you not see all the things that you did while we’ve travelling, you’re clearly good at it, you may not fully understand it yet but clearly you have talent”

“If you can pause a scene after knowing you have a gift of magic without understanding exactly what you’re doing your belief and wanting it to happen must play a part”

Aaron blushes at the compliment, knowing Robert meant every word of what he just said.

“I was thinking back to what the priest said to me in prison at this moment, I realise I was lucky I got counselling, I had a family that loved me and wanted me and would move the earth to help me, and realised that instead of pushing people away I needed to let them in”.

“Play” says Aaron, they both watch from a distance as Aaron and Jason exit the mill Jason leans on a taxi while Aaron goes to the other side of the car.

Robert listens as Aaron begins to speak “Not gonna do anything stupid I hope” he turns to Jason and say.

Aaron and Robert watches as the scene plays out in front of them and finishes, then replays itself.

Robert says to him, “ I tried to Bribe him to not do the fight, because I didn’t want you fighting your bully and in the end fighting him is what you needed to do, you showed not only strength here but compassion as well to someone not many people would think deserves it after your treatment by him. You were able to not let him intimated you and let him know that you were not taking more of his shit and he knew it. Cain may have beaten him up but it was you that cause him to stop his behaviour towards you”.

“You know” said Aaron I walked out of that fight with him, and let him know that I had nothing to prove to him before I left the ring, but he wrongly saw it as weakness and even him goading me didn’t make me go back into that ring, I had finally realise my worth, and I didn’t need to fight a bully to find it. I had nothing to prove, him on the other hand seem to need to prove something to himself, his reputation was all he had”.

“I would like to think he listened to me while I was talking to him here, I think him telling me Gordon hated himself for hurting me was him trying to put a line under everything between the two of us, his way of saying you didn’t deserve that I’ve thought of this moment often”, says Aaron.

They move from their spot as they see Brenda walking up the road, they hold hands and walk in the opposite direction. 

“It’s nice just you and me like this” says Aaron 

“It really is” replies Robert, “I just wish I knew where we are”

They walk towards the cricket pavilion only to find themselves in Home Farm, where two little boys about age five is playing tag, they stop playing when they notice the two men.

“Who are you? Ask a blue eyed dark hair boy with chubby cheeks “ I’ve not seen you are here before are you new staff?”.

The blonde hair green eyed boy, drag his friend away from them. “You know the rules they don’t know who we are, and we’re strangers to them”.

The dark hair boy touch his wrist and a woman appears in the door way, the blonde hair boy makes an odd noise like a whine and say “ papa is coming”.

A woman comes in, the woman looks startled to see the strangers she puts an arm around each of the boys and begin to drag them out the door. The blonde hair boy stops abruptly “He looks like me he says pointing to Robert his freckles are in the same place on his face as mines”

“What was that Robert? Ask the women

“He looks like me but older” the women seem to ignore the boy for a moment she picks up a bell and rings it a young women comes in bows and takes the boys and leaves and closes the door behind her,

Aaron opens his mouth to say something but the women puts a hand to her lips, suddenly the door opens and Robert see his father enters, “I heard Robert sounding the alarm, I came as quickly as I could”, says Jack.

The woman gestures for them to take a seat, Aaron and Robert stares openly at their parents, before taking the seats she indicated, they take in their surroundings it looked like Home Farm but the décor look like something you see in paintings of old portraits in museums, now the shock of seeing there younger selves as worn off, they noticed the people sat on the opposite settees to them were dress like something from the 1600 hundred or at least though Robert those old people I had to do school reports on.

“Who are you’ ask the women curtly”

“I’m Aaron Dingle and you look just like my mum Chas Dingle, and you” says Aaron looking at Jack look like Jack Sugden, Roberts dad” he continues gesturing towards Robert on the side of the sofa.

“My maiden name is in fact Dingle but my sons last name is Kirk”, say Chas, 

“And you’re my son” says Jack matter a factly to Robert .

“How can you be so sure”, ask Robert 

“I just do”, replies Jacks.

Suddenly the young woman returns to the room “Madam, sir the children have vanished we have searched high and low but can’t seem to find them”.

“Leave us” says Chas to the sobbing young women,

‘Talk fast why are you here? She ask “Clearly a spell or curse is at play here. We have only a few minutes till the children disappear all together and you’re stuck here, so Aaron quickly tells them about his wish for Robert and about Abigail, as he finishes Chas says “You will return to us again please know when you return we”, she points to Jack “ will understand more of what’s going on with you, I’m sorry your memories seem to have been altered. Now please go so our children can return to us”. 

How do we leave wonder Robert out loud, “We continue through my memories”, says Aaron “remember Abigail said what we see is set and can’t be changed” and as he finishes his sentence they find themselves at the hospital in Roberts room at Christmas and hear Aaron tell him “I’m not ready for you to die”

As they watch the scene unfold before them, Aaron says “ I was fighting my feelings for you and for a second there I though I lost my chance to tell you how I felt, I was going to choose you but you decided we were bad for each other. Why were you so sure we were bad for each other?” he ask Robert.

“I had a dream that if we continue I would make your life a misery and I loved you enough to let you go and be with Alex I thought he was better for you than me”.

“On paper he was a catch but he was extremely boring and dull he wasn’t you, no one will ever be better for me than you” he tells Robert sincerely”

“We found our way back to each other in the end though” said Aaron 

“The break was good for us, we became friends, I needed to grow as a person, be better and for a time I had had to do it without you I realise that now”.

“ I can’t believe we knew each other as kids before this, clearly the clothes were old and dated and if what we are seeing is correct how are we still alive”, said Robert I know I only met you properly couple years ago”.

“I have an idea lets go for hot chocolate”

“Robert we’ve never been able to move around properly in these kind of memories” say Aaron.

“Oh I think we might” says Robert smiling “ look at younger us”, Aaron does Aaron notices the scene played it self out and stop it didn’t replay itself. They walked out the room, to find themselves back at the cabin by the lake they half expected to find Abigail there but alas she wasn’t there, they open the front door and busy themselves making 2 cups of hot chocolate. 

“We need to work out a strategic plan, we need answers I can’t call Abigail” said Robert “until the end of the memories and how do we see my dad and your mum again they didn’t seem non plus to find us there, they should have been freaking out but they weren’t”. 

“Can we do something first” says Aaron

“What’s that”, ask Robert

“ There is a bed upstairs that I want us to be in doing everything but sleeping” winks Aaron.

“Really Aaron now with all the weirdness surrounding us”, says Robert 

“Why not now we don’t know what’s going to happen to us. I want to enjoy my husband while I still can what’s wrong with that”.

“Fine” says Robert smiling as he said so.

They walk up to their bedroom and enters where Robert lifts Aaron up and throw him on the bed where he proceeded to make love to him over and over again, sated and exhausted they fall into sleep.

Aaron wakes up bleary eyed, he feels a bite mark on his neck.

“Robert!, Robert!” he cries 

Robert turns to face him “ What! trying to sleep here” he says sleepily

“You bit my neck hard last night it looks like it’s gonna scar”.

“I’m a passionate man, here let me kiss it better babe” he says leaning on one elbow and going to kiss Aaron’s neck.

 

“Better he” says to Aaron 

Aaron rolls his eyes then catches something out the corner of his eyes “ it seems I may have bit you too” he whispered sheepishly. 

They get up shower, change clothes and head down stairs, they’re surprise to find Chas and Paddy at the kitchen table.

“Sit down love” says Chas “We’re waiting on two more people, Aaron goes to fill the kettle and as it boils, Robert get the teapot and cups out the cupboard and bring it over to the table, as Robert fills the teapot with hot water and add sugar to Aaron’s cup the front door opens and in walks Jack and Sarah.

Robert stops what he’s doing, “Mum” he runs to Sarah and hugs her. His father stiffen “I want to hug you too but I’ve heard what happened between us, I understand”.

“Can you blame me” spit out Robert 

“Come, sit down there is something very important we need to tell you, but first “Give your old ma a hug Aaron”. He makes to do so but can’t she’s not solid, ‘Why can’t I hug you mum?” ask Aaron, “because me and Paddy is dreaming this but the rest of you aren’t”, she replies .


	10. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally get some answers to what’s going on, Robert and jack talk and Robert finds out a secret about himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longish chapter a filler, next 2 chapters already done with a come full circle moment for Robert and Jack.

“What” says Aaron

“Me and Paddy can’t be there fully with you yet love, but in this place I can be without technically breaking the rules, the safe place.

“Can someone please tell us what the hell is going on please” says Aaron.

“Witches, warlock, werewolves, sirens are all real, you think of a mystical creature and you’ll probably find most of them are real, there is laws and rules to keep the peace between them. 

“You, Aaron as you already figured out have magic”.

“Robert I know you haven’t figured out what you are yet, and Jack isn’t allow to tell you, we will know when you do know because we will meet here again but there will be more people”.

“Get on with it Chas, before we wake up” say Paddy”.

Chas ignores Paddy and continues “Each species have different councils who set their own specific rules and regulations and dish out punishment as they deem fit, they also protect their people”.

“Our family sits higher up than all the other councils, our job is to maintain the balance. When we see council members not doing their jobs properly we step in, be it a dispute or showing favouritism our word is the final law we protect our world above all else”.

“We not only protect witches and mages and sparks but our family blood contain all three of those magical creatures. Witches can do spells by using wands or portions but other creature can use portions as well, mages are more powerful witches and a spark can use magic by just thinking what they want to happen and it does”

“ A spark tend to be tied to nature they protect the natural order of things make sure flowers grow, wood creatures are safe so they can grow the trees, keep a land lush and bountiful so crops grow. They have power over the wind, rain, and the sun as well”

“All born Dingles have these gifts but Paddy is a Demi God, his father is Apollo.

“The thing is love, me and Patrick are your real mum and dad, Gordon isn’t your father. When you were born your grandfather blessed you with some of his gifts specifically prophecy, the ability to know if someone is telling the truth, to punish mankind with plague and to heal as you see fit.

Aaron takes all this in Chas continues “As you grew up, your magic grew as well and soon you were known as the most powerful person on the planet. Our people prospered and flourished but jealousy arose and people thought of ways to use you to get closer to the throne”.

“Throne” ask Aaron 

“Yes” replies Chas “We govern not only those with magic but all the people as well we do our best to do so as fairly as we can. I was its queen and your father was it’s king, Unfortunately there were people who wanted the throne, there have been many battles fought and we have always defeated our enemies until the day of your coronation Aaron”.

“You must go back to that day and see for yourself then you will know what to do”.

 

She and Paddy both disappears “They must have woken up” says Jack 

“So is there two different worlds then?” ask Robert “because we saw people that looked like you and Chas and saw younger versions of ourselves”.

“That was us and it was you”, replies Jack

“How can that have been us, it’s the year two thousand and eighteen now, Home Farm looked like something from hundreds of years ago when we last saw you” says Robert not looking at Jack

“We are all hundreds of years old Robert, we only die by curses, poisons, getting our throats rip out and other gruesome methods”. 

Aaron rubs the side of his head “This is a lot to take in, I’m from a royal line, if you knew how I grow up you will see how ironic that sentence is”.

Sarah looks at Aaron she moves to sit next to him, she then takes is hand “I was there throughout your childhood you and Robert had a great childhood you grew up together, our families went on holidays together”. 

“That lake out there, we’ve picnic by it many times and you guys and Abigail”…..

“Sarah, that’s enough they need to remember it all by themselves”

“Okay love”, she says giving him a tight smile.

“Paddy and Chas, when they come here have told us about your lives in Emmerdale many times but we don’t know about your lives before then” says Jack.

Aaron exchanges a look with Robert 

Jack continues “When they come here like you they remember their lives in Emmerdale but they also remember who they really are unlike you”

Sarah chines in “When they wake they don’t remember this place”.

“It’s a spell or a curse!” says Aaron “There is a spell playing out don’t you think Robert? “ 

Robert nods “ I think you’re right” replies Robert but the bigger question is why are we under one and who casted it?”

“We need to figure that out, we need to finish the memories”

Suddenly Robert starts thinking protect mine family while looking at Aaron

“Uh, that was weird”

“What was weird” says Aaron starring at Robert 

“I found myself looking at you thinking protect, mine, family but it wasn’t really me, I mean it was but it wasn’t, if I didn’t know any better I would say that something was inside my head like another voice almost like another person. It not like I disagree with what’s being” said says Robert “ I will always protect you at all cost” the other voice inside him humming in agreement happy they both were in agreement.

Suddenly Roberts face started becoming distorted and his body shape starts to change as well Aaron looks on in wonder as Roberts four limbs became paws and his nose becomes a muzzle. Robert’s body continues to change until instead of Robert with his tall limbs, green eyes and blond hair a wolf stands in his place Roberts clothes he was standing in torn to shreds.

Aaron watches as the blond furry animal walk over to him and rest his head on his lap red eyes turning to stare at him intently. Some what in shock he raises his hand and stroke its fur.

“Robert! He squeaks ” Omg god you’re a wolf!” The wolf raises its head and look at Aaron looking unsure of himself for a moment.

Aaron turns to Sarah and Jack, “ Robert is a wolf” they smile at him fondly.

“Yes he is” says Sarah “we both are, why don’t you take him outside I’m sure he’s itching to run, his wolf has finally woken up and will be dying to do so”.

Aaron stands and heads for the door, Robert follows him they walk through the front door when they go outside Aaron sits down on the steps of the mill “It’s our second time here and It’s my first time really looking around it’s so peaceful here, he looks at the lake in front of them and smiles he strokes Robert fur, go on do whatever wolves do and come back”. Robert nods his head as if to say ok.

“You understand me” ,cries Aaron, Robert nods again.

Aaron watches Robert trods down the stairs and disappear around the side of the house, Jack and Sarah join him on the steps they sit not talking as if they knew Aaron needed silence for a while. After a while robert returns with a deer in his mouth and lay it by the bottom of the stairs.

“He’s providing for you” says Sarah 

Aaron walks down to Robert, he bends and stroke his fur “ Thank you” he whispers to Robert. 

“We’ll sort that deer out for you, let’s go back inside, we need to talk don’t you think” says Sarah.

They all follow her and go back inside, Aaron is surprised to see Robert take off in the direction of the laundry room. Sarah notices his surprise “Why don’t you sit down love, I’m sure he’ll be out in a minute”. 

They all sit at the table and wait, soon after Robert now a man again walk in wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt and a black hoodie that looked like it belong more on Aaron than him.

“How you feeling son” ask Jack 

Robert momentarily forgot about his hatred of his father and answer with a smile “It was amazing, I could hear and see everything in Minute details, out there running I felt whole my wolf and I connect again and even though I didn’t know apart of me was missing it was such a relief to become one again” continues Robert.

Aaron watches Robert take a seat next to him at the table, he looks confuse “What do you mean your wolf and feeling whole” he ask him but it was jack who answered not Robert. 

“A werewolf is both a person and an animal when human the animal is still there like another person your wolf we call it, you and it will both agree and disagree on things but you and it must always agree on your mate, in fact a wolf will always know it’s mate before the human part of a person at times” answers Robert.

“Mate? Ask Aaron, Jack looks at him “Every person has a soulmate that is just for them, there smell in a werewolves case will attract them to that person the smell is unique to the person but they will always smell like home to them”.

“Home”, says Aaron 

Robert buts in “He’s right you smell like wood, lavender, fresh baked bread, electricity, static which make me know you have magic and home or I guess you can call it contentment, I know I want to spent my life with you build a home together he stares at Aaron who blushes a subtle shade of pink from his ears downwards. He clears his throat “And how do you feel whole”, he ask Robert 

“I feel like a missing piece of a puzzle just slot into place” he says smiling at Aaron.

Jack look serious all of a sudden, “Chas told us that you and Jack didn’t have the best relationship but she thought that you was upset because I favoured ‘your brother Andy is that right?, but clearly there was more, you give off rage, fury, anger whenever you can look at me”

“Wait hold up!” says Aaron “You know what he’s feeling?”

“Yes” replies Jack as werewolves we sense emotions”. Aaron is stunned by this news.

“You want to tell me why you hate me so much?” ask Jack, so Robert tells him about being fifteen and being beaten by him after he caught him with a guy, Jack and Sarah listens and take it all in and smile sadly at their son.

“ I’m truly sorry you had to experience that, he made you think there was something wrong with you because you like guys he shouldn’t have done that but unfortunately it’s to be expected”, says jack.

“You don’t think there is anything wrong with me and Aaron” then ask Robert looking at his father hopefully.

“We’re wolves Robert we don’t see gender, we see mates it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a women all they have to be is of age. The fate has creates our perfect mate for each of us, this world isn’t hung up on things like that” 

“You’re our son Robert, your mother and I love you very much”. 

Sarah reaches out for Robert’s hands and stroke his knuckle, “You have never ever been a disappointment to us, we have love you from the day you were born and never stopped, you never have to prove anything to your father and I” she says. She puts her hands up to his face and turn him to look at her “We love you, and always will, his father fighting back tears nods. Robert starts to cry as he knew they were telling him the truth. Aaron watches the Sugdens as they stand, embrace and cling to each other. He smiles happily Robert was getting the closure he finally needed. 

The trio break apart, Robert speaks suddenly “ I know it wasn’t you that did those things to me dad but I still have those memories”.

“I know son, when all this is over maybe Aaron here can heal you and take the memory away if you want” says Jacks.

“I’ll think about it” says Robert

Sarah and Jack smile at both men she says “Aaron I love your shirt”

She looks at Robert as if expecting something to happen “That was a lie”, says Robert frowning “you don’t like it”.

“Bingo,” replies Sarah 

“You purposely lied”

“How did you know she lied”, ask a puzzled Aaron 

“Her heart skipped a beat, oh crap I’m a human lie detector” says Robert.

Sarah smiles at him, “You did that on purpose you wanted me to find out, why didn’t you just tell me”.

“Somethings we can’t tell you” she replies “but no one said anything about not bending the rules” she winks at him. 

Jack suddenly turn serious, “As you continue no one must know that you both are aware of your powers as yet it’s important you get to the end of your memories and end the spell. I think my being here triggered your wolf Robert. Trust your safe place family as you continue, we’ll see you again soon” they say before hugging them both and leaving.

“That was intense” says Robert 

“It sure was” replies Aaron “let’s continue”

They find themselves in the garage on the night of the reunion


	11. Knowledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have one last talk of their lives in ‘emmerdale, and meet some unexpected people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is violence in this chapter. Next chapter on Thursday.

As the boys find themselves in the garage they see a younger Robert with a bottle of booze in his hands and Aaron watches his younger self enter through the door of said garage. 

“It feels so weird doing this now after seeing mum and dad” says Robert 

“I know” replies Aaron “but needs must”, they watch as the scenes of that night play out.

“I sometimes come back here in my mind” says Aaron suddenly “When you said no to wanting me back then it hurt me so much, but like you said you loss a lot with our breakup. It couldn’t have been nice for you living in your younger sister’s house, that must of wounded your pride” continues Aaron.

“ I know she went on and on at you to take responsibility for your ‘Son’ then the accident happened and you found yourself living with your child and a women who had to be taken care of constantly and your sister. Then having to see me looking like I had for all intense purposes move on with a doctor no less someone, my family, all seem to like”.

“Living at Vic’s wasn’t ideal to begin with Adam didn’t want me there, it was a reminder of how far I had fallen, I don’t mean the big house on the hill, I was never really in love with Chrissie. I made something of myself after she and I broke up, I was happy with you, I learnt to love myself regardless of liking men or woman and was happy to have another man love me” replies Robert”.

“I suddenly was homeless, living with my baby sister who’s life was more together than mine. I though after Valentine’s Day you wanted me back we had a nice time then I saw you move Alex into the Mill. I was devastated and as devastated as I was I still couldn’t sleep with that guy.”

Aaron turns to him “I wasn’t good at communicating with you after Valentine’s Day, I should have told you I wanted you back instead of letting someone I couldn’t stand to be around me move into our martial home. Seeing someone else chat you up and knowing you left with him broke me”, says Aaron but “I was beyond happy seeing you in here because I knew at least you weren’t spending the night with him”.

Robert smiles “ I’m glad we talked here and got things off of our chest, and I’m glad you weren’t willing to let me go that night and knocked on my door to tell me how much you love me and just what I did for you, how I help you..” 

He smiles “ I loved you enough to let you go because all I thought was I kept hurting you and I didn’t want to get back with you and something goes wrong and I ended up back where I was at that moment in time back at my sisters”, says Robert looking at him thoughtfully 

Aaron shakes his head “ Yes, at the time you hurt me a great deal, but this garage conversation made me know that you wouldn’t do anything like that again. I knew you were sorry for hurting me and I saw what the betrayal costed you and I realised that night it caused you more that I though” continues Aaron.

“In the future we need to make sure we communicate better with each other, maybe even look at the others prospective if this wish as taught me anything it’s that life isn’t black and white, there are shades in between”.

“If we had both thought about what we were told about that night even without seeing it replayed we should have seen that some things didn’t make sense, you didn’t remember the night at all or texting her and now seeing how everything played out, questions should have been asked instead of just believing everything she said”, say Aaron 

“Yes I should have been more on the ball got a DNA test especially since she was sleeping with another man before just accepting Seb was mine, we do indeed need to start looking at things differently” replies Robert, we will grow as people from the mistakes we made and learn from the lessons we’ve been taught here”

They felt a strong tug each in their chest, Robert feels his wolf purring in happiness.

“My wolf feels happy” says Robert as he feel an even stronger pull in his chest..

Aaron looks at him “Is it weird knowing you’re a wolf?.

“I know I should be freaking out but I’m happy, if I had found out without experiencing the changes that come with being a werewolf for myself, I think I would have been, but oddly having Jack and my mom there while it was happening helped a great deal. The wolf recognised family it’s calm”.

“I want to know about our lives here, know if our daughter had time with us or if she grow up without her parents. I want to remember our lives Robert. Seeing mom and Paddy and what they sacrifice for me. I need to know, I want them here, where they should be” says Aaron 

“Paddy and Chas loves you so much that they clearly chose to keep you in their lives whatever the cost in this case, remembering your true parentage and their memories with you. Your lives before Emmerdale”

“ What they did for you Aaron is the definition of a parents love, sacrificing whatever they had to be with their child, clearly that’s what they were doing here”, says Robert.

“My whole life I wish Paddy was my dad turns out he was all along and that monster isn’t related to me at all” cries Aaron none of his blood is running through my veins.”

Suddenly three women stand before Aaron and Robert

“ Hail the omega Prince soon to be king, says the first

“Hail the alpha and mate soon to be king, says the second

“Hail the future kings, says the third 

Aaron and Robert look at them bugged eyed and open mouthed as they continued

“ The bond that binds two mates as been renew, says the first 

“Strengthen”, says the second 

“What once was broken has been repaired”, says the third 

They were truly beautiful women, the first was blonde in her hands were long threads, that seem to be spinning on their own.

“ I’m Clotho she says looking between the two men then bowing and I spin the threads of life for all living beings , I see the present. “Your kingdom is awaiting a king, rule wisely and heed the lessons learnt in the present”.

The second women a redhead steps forward bow to the two men in her hands is an hourglass “I’m Lachesis I measure mankind’s allotted time I see the future, your firstborn sits on a throne now out of necessities it is not yet her time to rule, a king must set an example for an heir to follow teach her wisely so her reputation is of a good queen and not that of a monster”.

The third women a brunette steps forward and bows to them. 

“I’m Atropos”, her hands held a pair of shears, I cut the threads of life, I see the past, a human omega prince and alpha werewolf’s love so strong it broke through a curse, blood must and will be spilled as they showed you no mercy so you must do likewise as she finish speaking they disappear.

“I’m pretty sure those were the sisters of fate” says Robert 

“Yes they were”, say Aaron thoughtfully 

Suddenly Abigail appears before them, they notice a women who looks like Rebecca holding on to her. They open their mouths to speak but before they could Abigail turns to Rebecca ‘ Let go” she pleads as she tries to free herself from the other women’s vice like grip on her arm..

Rebecca smiles and cackles”Poor little princess have you been making images of your parents, too bad you will never see the real thing” she whispers menacingly to Abigail.

Aaron walks forward and stabs Rebecca


	12. Forgotten Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron finds out something major about himself and Robert let go of the  
> Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert goes through his life and sees their daughters birth

Who lets go of Abigail’s arm, and disappears, Robert rushes over to her “Are you okay sweetheart?

“I’m fine pops” she said rubbing her arms, “I didn’t realise she followed me she couldn’t see the door but because I passed through she held on to me and got in”

“Got in? ask Robert 

“Your memories” replies Abigail lucky she can’t exist in this plane for long as she not suppose to be here, unfortunately she knows you’re awake, which means she is coming back with an army” she turns to Aaron “Dad you need to get grams and grandma back here before we start fighting. We’ll all be at the mill when you’re done.”

“How do I do that?” he ask her

She looks at him “Dad why did you use a sword to stab her with?”

“I wanted her to suffer for daring to touch you and I realised the fates who had just been here was giving us a warning that someone was coming, and about blood needing to be spilled, I realised it was her blood when I saw her. A sword seemed the best way to go”. 

His eyes suddenly went wide. “You said I was your knight who always chase the bad guys away”

She starts to cry “You remember me!, oh god you remember me!”, she wails. She hugs Aaron who hugs her tightly back, after a moment he turns to Robert who is watching them through tear stain eyes “ Do you remember as well” he nods, and hugs them. The family stay like that for a while happy to be together again. 

Abigail removes her hands from her parents shoulders and step back from them, “You each have one wish left” she says. “I must let the others know to be prepared for war. I have to go” she says before turning to leave.

Aaron turns to Robert “I remember our daughter but nothing else. Now we know who and what we are, I know that I can change the parameters of the wish to see my whole life, with my family from this world up until the day we were drag from it, so that’s what I’m going to do agreed”

“Agreed” nods Robert 

“Third” whispers Aaron 

They see Chas dress in something from the sixteen hundreds place a baby in a bassinet, they watch as Paddy stands next to her and place an arm round her waist “Look at how perfect he is Chas, have you seen a more beautiful child than our Aaron” Chas smiles at him “No” she replies. Aaron’s memories of his life continues and they watch as his life play out in front of them,

They watches as Aaron who looks around two years of age is playing with a young Robert outside Home Farm with a nanny nearby in a uniform they see a young Robert helping a young Aaron to stand.

“We grow up together”, said Robert and that knowledge was hidden from us he turns when he hears laughter and see’s both of their parents sat at a table having afternoon tea, “Look how happy they look, I don’t think I’ve ever seen my dad look so unburden I grow up with a dad who always had to worry about money”.

Aaron looks at his parents, how happy they seem, he shakes his head and smiles at how Paddy  
looks at his mom like she hung the moon. He takes Robert’s hand and kisses it “ I’m glad we’re seeing this”

They watch as time passes for their younger selves, they find themselves in a great hall Aaron his dragging Robert to a sofa “Come on Robert we need to practice our dance for tonight, it’s my 13th birthday today I want everything to be perfect” they watch as younger Robert rolls his eyes “Dont be a worry wart everything will be fine” he says.

More time past and they’re outside by a tree watching and listening to their younger selfs as they sit on a blanket outside. “Robert you’re my mate, I love you of course I’ll bond with you, but in 2 years when we’re eighteen. I can’t wait to feel it in place they say it’s like feeling a tug in your chest and we can feel each other’s emotions and send things through the bond like reassurance for instance” says Aaron.

“When we were airing out our Landry before and resolving things that tug must have been the bond recognising and reestablishing itself in us both”, says Aaron.

They watch there younger selves kissing on the bed, the room door opens, Roberts heart drops in his chest he watches as Jack sees them on the bed as he comes into the room, They watch has he just smiles and winks at them “ Robert your mother and I are going now, don’t come home too late” .

Robert sits back and cries Aaron holds him “I know let it out, this Jack isn’t a monster hearing it and seeing for yourself are two different things”.

“ I had a dad who loves me, who I was always good enough for”, Aaron listens to him weeping and Robert continues “ seeing this knowing what I went through with the other Jack” he wipes his eyes as he speak “its lifted a burden off me”

Aaron holds him until he stops crying and kisses him on the lips gently, “Come on lots more to see”, they continue through Aaron’s life

The years go by and they’re back in the bedroom “Are you ready?”. The younger Robert ask starting to undress they watch themselves make love and watch as they give each other a mating bite on the shoulder “I feel the bond forming” says younger Aaron as he touches a teeth mark on his shoulders “And with our mating scars everyone will know you are taken, he smiles smugly at Robert. Who in turn touches his mark

“Is it weird that I want to have sex with you now” says Robert ‘and mark you up” 

“Not weird at all” says Aaron kissing him passionately soon clothes were flying everywhere as they follow their younger selves and make love biting each other shoulders.

They get dress and continue through Aaron’s life, they find themselves in a hospital outside a room, where they see some surgical mask and put in on they look in the room to see Robert standing body half turned and he’s speaking to someone lying on a bed, they watches as he moves. The person lying on the bed comes into focus and they let out a gasp when they see it’s a very pregnant Aaron.

“I can get pregnant” says Aaron incredulously 

“I can hear the baby’s heartbeat” replies Robert I was trying to work out which one of us was Abby’s father but it looks like we both were.

“Omg Robert, we can both be parents to our own kids, I get to give you a child” The realisation of what he just said hits him and he starts to cry.

“Come here” says Robert hugging him, they move aside has a flurry of activities start to happen they watch as doctors go into the room and stay watching until they hear a baby cry soon after the cry the commotion in the room dies down leaving the newborn and her parents alone in their little bubble of happiness. They watch through the glass.

Aaron takes Robert hands in his and lace them together “ Robert” he says look at our little girl she is amazing our little miracle”. They are both suddenly wide eyed “ I feel a pack bond with her” says Robert do you as well” . Aaron nods yes with tears in his eyes. 

The memories continue and they find themselves back at Home Farm in the drawing room where Chas is sitting on a chair by the window, “Hello boys” she says to them “I believe you need these”, she says holding up vials of a clear liquid “Memorycpotions” she says. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s ironic this was written a month ago considering what’s on screen now. Next chapter how they came to be cursed


	13. Remembering it all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron and Robert remember everything and now know why they ended up in Emmerdale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy not long to go this should be finished by week after next. New chapter on Thursday. Longish chapter

Aaron takes the vials from Chas who is now dress like someone from the early nineteen hundreds and hands one to Robert who takes it and drinks Aaron follows suit.

They both feel a warmth runs through their body and they gasp as images after images of their lives with their family is imprinted to their memory. “That bitch is gonna pay” says Robert.

Aaron looks at his mother “Thanks mom for making that memory potion for us, and figuring out that we would see you again soon in the past”.

“I figured I would see you again time travel is not allowed, it’s easy to mess with peoples lives that way. When you told me about your wish and what happened with it I realise you both were transported to our world but couldn’t quite cross the threshold properly into it in the present time, so whoever cast this spell/curse made it so it can be broken by using the past to do it “so I knew your memories were vital to breaking it” says Chas.

“I casted it’ says Aaron. Chas looks at him in shock

“Why did you?” ask his mother

“As you know Robert and I knew we were mates from a young age” she nods “But there was a women, Rebecca who from a young age wanted him for herself as she grow up that desire hadn’t waned in fact it got stronger, she appealed to the goddess Hera for help and Hera angry at her husband Zeus for sleeping with another women and creating Apollo who now had a grandchild (me) who was so powerful”, says Aaron, helped her. 

He continues “Hera heard her and Rebecca became an enchantress people followed her and those who didn’t want to she used potions and forbidden magic to break their wills, they were hers to command but she would do nothing till she had Roberts child, after all if she could break us up and have a werewolves child of an alpha prince and heir she could command all the werewolves pack and obtain great power”.

He looks at Robert who says “But she’s not a werewolf so she doesn’t truly understand that our mate was it for us there would be no other person, can never be any other person even if our mate dies. So she scammed her way into the palace where she wanted to work while watching us and to see if there was way she could destroyed us but she was found out on her first day, the guards in the palace were all humans but a werewolf saw through her enhancements when she tried to seduce him”

Chas listens as Robert continues “She was sent to a remote island for years but she prayed to the goddess Hera again who offered her help one last time and a boat appeared which she used to get off the island”

“Her followers which were now just a few since her enchantment broke over many of them once she wasn’t constantly in their present, once again grow, and she and them storm the palace on the day of our coronation she was determined that she will have me and if she couldn’t have me then she would kill me and take the throne”.

“Whilst rebuilding her army she found a dark witch who knew of a forbidden curse to get someone to love you it causes events to happen to tear and keep the true lovers apart, It makes you forget your true love and that you knew each other, but if the lovers can find there way back to each other against all odds and the love they had is renew the spell is broken” continue Robert. 

“How do you know all this” ask Chas

“Villains and their need to dialogue with you before a fight, she told us everything” replies Robert 

Aaron waves his hand and a bubble appears showing the moments Robert is talking about. 

Arron picks up the story, “As Rebecca finishes saying her spell, smiling smugly the sisters of fate appeared” 

32 years ago

In a great hall the scene freezes on a large crowd dress in their finest clothes fighting another group of people all dress in black robes, beyond them is four large thrones and a priest, Chas recognises the throne room. 

They see the three fates, a teenage Abigail, Sarah, Jack, Paddy, Chas, Robert and Aaron walking around and talking. 

They hear Clotho say “ A curse has been cast”. Lachesis adds ‘But all is not lost” Then finally they hear Atropos say “The past hold the key to its undoing”

Everyone looks at the sister of fate thoughtfully

“How do we fix it” ask Chas

“ A counter spell must be cost” says Clotho”  
“You’re insuring your future bloodline make it strong” says Lachesis  
“Word it wisely and the the rules of your spell can be bend” says Atropos. 

“They can’t tell you what is going on here”, she says looking at Aaron and Robert and pointing to the rest of the group, When you return and don’t remember due to the spell, you must figure it out on your own”.

Robert has a thought “ if the past holds the key to its undoing, nothing is stopping us from not remembering in the past, a loophole if you will, her spell will make us forget now but nothing is stopping us from going back and retrieving the memories that way no rules will be broken” says Robert.

Aaron look around him worriedly, “ if we stay here the spell will enact, we don’t know how it will affect our people, the lost of your mate will change you, we’ve all heard the stories of people going down a dark path or going mad because of it, we are each other’s anchor. The people will suffer with an unstable king. You will become feral, my magic will become unstable.

“Then we don’t let them suffer”, says Robert.

“What if we go somewhere else the spell will play out there and hopefully we can get ourselves back here” replies Robert.

“What do you mean Robert?” ask Aaron. 

“ We know there are other worlds, let’s go to one of them”, he looks at Clotho “Is there a world out there with no magic”, she nods. “Good” says Robert while the spell will affect me and Aaron in that world magic will not be available to us, so the spell will not make me go feral or you unstable say Robert, “Hopefully we will find each other again in that world”

“ Then we go to that one and I will make sure any changes that happen there happen here it will be part of the spell, says Aaron ”

He looks around at everyone as he talks, when he finishes talking they nod at him. He looks at his parents and his daughter with sadness. “ We will keep a place here where we can come to when the spell starts to unravel where you guys can visit where no one else but family members can come to or remember. I will make sure that however it’s decorate there happens here, so you have a piece of us near by and know that what ever you touch here will have been touch by your dad and me there like transference.”

Abigail turns to look at her father “When will we know when you’re both living there together?”

Lachesis answers “When both parents are in the village your family’s pack bond will reappear you will feel your fathers again faintly when they come back to the place of their choosing and are a couple once again, you will feel it stronger then and when they heal their mate bond and remember you, the family’s pack bond will once again feel warm in your chest as it cements itself in you fully again”.

“I know the perfect place the mill, we all have such happy memories there and no one outside the family really know about it” says Abigail.

“That’s perfect”, said Aaron “I will make sure that it’s in a place no one can get near unless they have Dingle or Sugden blood. I will put it in the void between the two worlds. I will store my memories there before they get taken away he conjures a jar and concentrate and his memories appear in it as powder he turns to Robert, I need to store your memories as well a jar also appears in Roberts hands and Aaron takes a wand from his back pocket and taps it to Roberts head “You have to consent to me taking your memories” said Aaron. “I consent” say Robert, before long he too has powder in his jar.

They all hold hands except the sisters of fate and Aaron transport them to the mill, he goes outside and throws the content of the jars in the air, our memories are now safe”, he says “A potion will be needed to give it back to us”.

Then Atropos says “The past will insure you remember”  
Clotho speaks “This now safe place is secure”

As Aaron and his family take it all in they hear Lachesis say, “Your gift of prophecy will allow you to see just enough into the future to put failsafes in place to break the curse/spell”

All three women turn to Robert and Aaron and say together “We will meet one last time when the curse is broken and war must be fought, cast your curse now quickly”.

Aaron looks into his mind and sees portions of the curse playing out in a vision he holds Abigail and Chas’s hand sharing his visions with them so they all see how the curse will play out and what part they will need to play. When the visions stops he looks around for Robert.

“He holds Roberts hand and says. “This curse will be lifted when we find and love each other again should she try to mate with you by force, when you say no she must listen and obey if she does listen she will suffer her mind will start to stop functioning properly”.

“ If she does force herself on you she dies this will be a rule of my spell, when we are together but not yet truly one, my heart will break forcing me to wish for us to heal, I will want you to feel my hurt and pain at the same time you will make a wish Robert, bringing us here to this place forcing us to deal with whatever issues we will have, no longer broken”.

“A child will be born to her he continues, she will try to get you to acknowledge the child as yours should you do so and I follow suit choosing to be its parent all his lost she will use that child to break my spell as it will be prove a child of her flesh will have a place in our hearts. The child will not be able to travel here as it was not born of this world, but we will return here still cursed and she will use our still curse selves as a distraction to fight for the throne.

“Our broken bond will cause you to go feral, chaos would ensue and we will know only war not peace”. Aaron continues “ I will leave myself clues to help us for when we return to this place he turns to “Abigail our people need a strong leader, lead until we return mom and dad will be there with you”.

Abigail sobs, Chas turns to Paddy and they have a silent conversation, Paddy nods at Chas who says “We’re coming with you love, you aren’t going there by yourself”, Chas then turns to Sarah and Jack look after her until we return she says to them” , they nod at her whilst crying. 

 

 

 

Aaron turns to his mom and dad “You would do that for us”

“We would tear down Olympus itself if it means you’re not alone in this answers Chas”.

Gaia, and Hecate the earth goddess and mother of all magic appears everyone bows to them “Great mother” says Chas to them.

“You have been a good custodian to my people”, Hecate replies to her, “You and your mate shall indeed have my permission to go with your child and his mate to another world but there is a price. I will need to take your memories of this universe from you and your mate as well since you were not curse but when you dream you can come here and both remember who you truly are but will forget again when you wake in the other place”. 

“I understand and consent” says Chas”, the goddess turn to Paddy, “ I consent and understand”, says Paddy”.

The goddess turns to Aaron and touches his hand with hers, the spell will not take you to Emmerdale straight away her enact curse will take you both to a different part of the new world, it will do everything to keep you both apart but fear not you will meet again in their town of Emmerdale, which I will create there. Their will be dopplelgangers of this worlds Emmerdale but also people who are strangers to you. I have done that to keep the balance between worlds. Once the spell has been broken the people from there will forget you and your parents and the enchantress. There is only so much Zeus will allow me to do to help you”.

“I understand” say Aaron “Thank you for your help”, he says as he bows to her.

“I have one request if I may our daughter to be our guide here when we return and should Robert or myself spill the blood of the curse caster we remember the first person we see after great mother” he pleads”.

“Granted” came her reply

Everything that was needed to cast the spells, herb and portions appear at the goddess feet, Aaron bows again to her and take them and cast the spell, as he did the goddess smiles sadly at him and says “It is done”. 

They find themselves back in the throne room and time as restarted again, they look at each other and smile sadly before Aaron spells hit and his parents look at him sadly before disappearing then before Aaron and Robert could draw a breathe they disappear too along with Rebecca.

In the present Chas look at Aaron “ I would have done the same thing love, now you two have a kingdom to save go save it, I’m glad I could play some part in it”.

Both men hug her, then take each other’s hands and Aaron says “Mill, they find themselves back in the Mill fill with Sugdens and Dingles.


	14. friends and foes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet the rest of their families for the first time in a long time and the battle is fought with the enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing this chapter so much, hope you all have been enjoying it so far.

Aaron and Robert look around them they see Victoria, Roberts parents, Charity, Zac, Cain, Sam, Lisa, Genie, Debbie and Belle sitting on different seats in the mill. They look around sadly knowing there would be no Andy, or Liv in this world but some what happy there would be no whites either.

Aaron let go of Roberts hand and they go round the room hugging their love ones they have not seen in what was thirty-two years for Robert and twenty-seven for Aaron well thirty-two really.. 

Lisa is the first to speak “Love I’m so happy to see the pair of you, but where are your parents the curse as been lifted”

Aaron look at her, before speaking “They chose to come with us it wasn’t a curse for them, the goddess is the only one that can bring them back”

“Let’s all pray to the goddess Hecate and Gaia then” says Lisa everyone in the room does so, after a moment the goddess Gaia appears brown hair flowing behind her so long it reaches the floor, eyes the colour of evergreens and a gown that changes colour to different shades of green with lavender skin the same colour as the English lavender plant. 

Aaron and Robert bows to her “Great mother”, says Aaron “The curse has been broken I beg of you to return my parents to me” 

“You have done well, my child and you’ve endured such sorrow” the goddess then touches Roberts face “Both of you”, she says sadly “and came through it”. 

“ I will return them to you”, she looks to Hecate then her left side and Chas and Paddy appears, she takes each of their hand in to hers “Your unselfishness will not be forgotten, your courage and bravery will be remembered “ I give you a gift to replace what could never be for you there. A potion in a bottle appears in Chas’s hand she wraps her hand around it and bows to the goddess. 

“Thank you” she says. 

“Drink up” the goddess replies “A potent potion given in love can bare much fruit”, 

Chas’s eyes widens and she look at Paddy who’s expression now matches hers. 

“Is this what I think it is” she ask the goddess 

“It is, she replies winking at her. Chas smiles and drink the potion

The goddess disappears “What was that ask Aaron?”

“Later”, replies Chas, “We have an enchantress of the Rebecca kind to kill”

“I have an idea on what to do with her once she’s stopped” says Aaron

“Yeah! Kill her”, says Zac suddenly 

“No”, says Aaron and Robert in unison

“We want her to suffer, death will be too merciful for her” , says Robert 

“So what are we doing with her then, if not killing her”, says Debbie 

Aaron look at her “You will all find out when she is detained”

“We have to stop her first, I have an idea the curse is now broken instead of fighting her here and now Robert as one wish left if we hold hands we can all go back to the day the curse was cast, time will catchup with itself and we should all go in our bodies back then but remembering everything that happened now but no one else will do so but us. Rebecca’s curse won’t cast when she tries to cast it as it already played out so trying to cast it again will create a paradox” continues Aaron.

“If you don’t want to remember, you can say now and leave, we’ll give you a moment to consider”.

The remaining adults huddle together and begin discussing Aaron’s proposal after some back and forth between the group. 

Zac comes over to where Aaron and Robert is standing and say “We want to remember this curse and what it took from us, it will remind us to be more diligent in the future, be more proactive in making sure the council of princess and princes do their job better and we as the ruling family need to have more spies darted around this world, lessons will be learnt”

Aaron and Robert breathe a sigh of relieve, “Well then” smiles “Robert we have a fight and strategy to plan for it”.

They all gather around the table in the kitchen

“Lisa if you can make some potions to bind a persons magic we can use that on some of the magic users”.

Aaron raises his hand and the frozen image of thirty-two years ago in the throne room appears I thought if we look back at it this way it would be easier to see where we all were standing and use it to work out the best way to defeat her army” 

“Robert and I will deal with Rebecca the rest of you apart from Jack, and Lisa work out how you’re going to divide the room, who will fight where. Make sure the weapons you’re going to use is in your hands before we go back there and Belle please go get the magic book so all these portions can be made I noticed you guys had stock piled ingredients needed for potion making and spells before when I was looking around not realising at the time what they were”.

Belle goes and get the magic book and Lisa flips through it till she gets to the page about binding a persons magic and ask Charity to get the ingredients needed for it before she then precede to make it , once she has done that other family members have a turn with the book making other potions that they think they may need be it for spells or to hex a person.

“We should also make a magic stripping potion while you guys have the book open” says Aaron 

“Way ahead of you” say Cain “Just need to add one more ingredient he says as he drops the final ingredient into the pot and they watch as the potion changes colour to signal it’s ready.

Arron look around at his family who look exactly like the ones he left behind with a tinge of sadness he knew only happiness with them but knew more sadness with the ones left behind in the other Emmerdale and true there is no Adam here, his best friend for so many years but as he remembers his life here with Robert he realises he’s always had a best friend and he knows it doesn’t diminish what Adam is to him especially since he was there for his coming out and the subsequent fall out of him trying to kill himself and Aaron will always be grateful for that. He’s grateful they won’t ever remember him. 

He sees Robert looking at him, and watches as he mouths “Are you okay” to him. Aaron nods and feel Robert send him reassurance through their mate bond and Aaron is grateful for it. He smiles at Robert.

“We’re ready when you’re love” says Chas to him.

“For the kingdom” says Robert 

“For the kingdom” everyone else reply

He watches as a sword appears in Aaron’s hand and other weapons appear in the hands of those can do magic as well. 

They stand side by side together and hold hands

“Third” says Robert they find themselves back in the past on the day they were taken from this world.

The sisters of fate stare at them and then Robert and Aaron and his parents from thirty two years ago freezes with everyone else from back then.

“The curse as been lifted”, say Clotho

“But think carefully a kings job is to protect its people” says Lachesis

‘If the past is not known by all a kingdom will be weaken, knowledge is power” says Altropos

Robert turn to Aaron “We are trying to protect our world but our world need to know just how far some in the kingdom will go to get power, this incident must be used as a deterrent for all to see”

“There were people willing to follow her of their own free will we must find out why. What’s made them so jaded. We must re-educate them counselling is something we need to make available for all who need it, there will have been trained counsellors in old Emmerdale, which means all the knowledge and training needed to be one was bought here to this world and we have trained counsellors here as well, there was a college in Emmerdale which did courses so we should have one as well, if your spell did its job back then” he says, Looking at his frozen other self.

“We know the great mother Hectace has allow the best of that world to replicate it self here while filtering out any of the evil stuff”, says Robert “She is the mother of all magic, you may have cast the spell but she ultimately is the one that implemented it.

Aaron nods “But we will miss 32 years with our daughter I can’t do that”, before Robert could answer Clotho says “ A job well done from the soon to be kings mate. A mates job is to provide balance in the relationship as well as take care of their mate, to not be afraid to challenge them, you have shown an alternative path, the fate mother as chosen well with you” she says to Robert.

Lachesis looks at Aaron “What is your answer to your mate will you stay your course or go back to the present?”.

“The present, we will fight them there” says Aaron .

“A wise answer” said Atropos.

Kronos the god of time appears “So it shall be” he says as they all find themselves in the present day in the throne room, time was now restarted.

Before Aaron could taken in what was happening he felt a blow to his ribs, he look up to see a tall man in the room making a fist to hit him a second time, he quickly dodges it and take his sword and stabs the man in the leg Aaron watches as he doubles over in pain, Aaron look around the room, he sees Robert in his wolf form fighting another wolf, he sees Zac and Lisa casting spell after spell hitting people dress in black robes. Before he could continue looking around for his family a women comes up to him chanting, he quickly summons a spell to stop her speaking and as she realises what’s happening to her he sends her flying against a wall, where she crumbles to the floor. The fight continues till all the enemies were defeated and all that was left was Rebecca who Chas had hit with a spell which left her unable to move. Charity forces her to open her mouth and pours the magic stripping potion down her throat. 

Aaron ask for a mirror to be bought to him, someone magics a large mirror to stand before Aaron and Robert.

Aaron says a spell which causes a tornado to circle her and carry her to the edge of the mirror before sucking her inside it. 

Everyone in the room look at the mirror watching her looking out very angrily.

Aaron look out on the great hall for the first time in thirty-two years, he sees bloodied and battered people everywhere, he watches as Rebecca’s followers are line up in row after row, when they are all lined up Debbie and Genie conjure unbreakable ropes which tied their hands and feet together. 

Robert the werewolves alpha had used his alpha voice on Rebecca’s followers to forced those who were still wolf to change back to human so they can be apprehended..

There was a deafening round of applause from everyone else and shouts of hip hip hooray all around for Aaron and Robert and the other family members there.

Paddy and Chas get Aaron and Robert and walk them to the two thrones in the centre of the room and told them to sit, as they sit and face their subjects a priest and bishop enter the room with 2 crowns in their hands followed by more people from the church and a choir who’s robes were blood stained from the fight they put up to help secure the kingdom.. 

Aaron and Robert look at each other “How did you know the fighting was over and to have all this ready” ask Robert to the bishop.

The bishop smiles “Her Royal Highness had us all prepared for a war and a coronation so we had everything ready” he says as he glances over at Abigail and gives her a bow. 

She beames at him in return.

“Let’s get this show on the road” says Chas

With the prisoners watching the boys were crown king and king Mate to rapturous applause, Paddy and Chas were the first to come up to them and bow while saying “My kings as they did so, followed by Jack and Sarah, with everyone else in the room following suit, after the crowning the prisoners were send to the jail with Lisa and her right hand sending them there, no one wanted to miss anything about the day they had so longed for. 

A steady stream of people not just from the hall but the town and beyond had come to pay their respect to the new rulers. Robert and Aaron do a double take when they realised that there were tv cameras floating above the room capturing everything that had gone on with the battle and now, he raises an eyebrow to Abigail as TVs were something not known about when they left this world.

“What” she smiles at him “The people need to know they have a ruling family who is strong and shown no mercy when they defending them, and our enemies need to know there is no length we will not go to, to destroy them and we never back down”, said Abigail.

Aaron smiles at her, he knew she was right and she would be a great queen some day.

“So what else is different since your father and I have been here”, he ask her

“All the technology and knowledge from that world is here now, mobile phones, tv stations, internet, Facebook but all geared towards a world of magic” she replies. “We all know the great mother has given us this knowledge and technology’s but people have added to it”.

A hush falls over the throne room Aaron look up to see Kronos the god of time, Gaia and the goddess Hecate standing before him and to his surprise Luna the wolf goddess who only normally appears to her people the were’s. 

They bow to Robert and Aaron and Abigail and smile at Chas and Paddy.

Aaron and Robert bow to them and indicate to Abigail to do the same which she does.

Kronos is the first to speak “We have come to pay our respect to the new rulers of this world, ask of us anything you wish and if it’s in our power we will granted it”

Aaron and Robert look at each other there was only one thing the god of time could help them with but they were sure he knew what it is they wanted, but he decided to voice it anyway, 

“We have missed 32 years with our daughter she has had to grow up without her parents. We have lost so much time with her but we know there is no way to get it back, so we thank you but there is no request at this time”.

Kronos smiles at Aaron and Robert, only 32 days as pass since you left this world, not 32 years. Each year there is equivalent to a day here. 

Aaron and Robert look at each other in surprise. 

They though they had missed years with their daughter but it was just days, while over a month was bad it was more desirable than the years they thought they lost. 

They smiled happily at Kronos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos


	15. Rebuilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story concludes.

Hecate steps forward “As the goddess of magic I bring a gift to the kings werewolf mate, never as there been one of your kind sitting on the throne before, a full werewolf. She touches his chin and Robert feels a surge of heat running through him “I give you the gift of magic”. 

 

Robert stares at her wide eyed, she smiles at him. 

She straightens up I will take from you any memories of that world you wish to forget, just concentrate on what you want to forget and it will disappear, she takes both their hands and Robert thinks about it, he thought about it and it was his memories of the other Jack he wanted erase which she did.

Aaron knew instantly it was Gordon he wanted gone, but he came to terms with it, and he knew the knowledge of that needed to to be kept so should someone else try to take the kingdom he knows what horrors could await whoever is sent to another world as their world didn’t have sex crimes.. “Great mother, my request before I make the choice is that no curse or spell can ever open to another world except ours. And you allow the progress that has been made here from new technology to continue” he says

“Granted” she replies, Now that he knew no one from this world will find themselves in another world, he thinks of Gordon and his memory of Gordon is erase. He knows the goddess can sense something horrific happens to him and Robert but he knows that this is the first time going through his and Roberts memory that she will see for herself the full horror of what they went through. 

She steps back in shock, she knew things like that didn’t happen here but she silently cast a spell that should someone have done that or try to do something like that in this world they die immediately. 

That Emmerdale wasn’t her domain, but she needed to talk to Zeus she was shock by what she saw. 

She leans in and whispers to Aaron and Robert “As rulers you will always have the option of being able to go to another world as long as I grant it, they’re not all like the one you left, there are some really amazing ones out there”. 

Aaron and Robert both thanked her and she bowed to them and walk back to stand next to Kronos.

Luna the moon goddess in her wolf form steps up, she looks at Robert while speaking to Aaron “I give you my thanks for looking after my child, my line is assured not only with your husband and your daughter but new life”. 

“What is your desire?” She ask. Aaron and Robert look at each other and have a silent conversation between themselves Robert shakes his head. “Your thanks is enough”, says Aaron. 

She bows her head and steps back.

Gaia the earth goddess steps forward “You already have life growing inside of you”, she says pointing to Aaron who beams happily, “What would you ask of me” Aaron and Robert look at each other and have a whispered conversation between themselves they straighten up. 

“Thank you Mother Earth but for now nothing” she smiles and bows.

She’s looks at Chas and Paddy “You have raised him well, he could have ask for the moon and would have received it but he prefers to rule not become a god, as such we three gods will now be the gods of this branch of the family and Abigail my sibling Nyx as requested to have permission to be your personal goddess to watch over you, to reward you for the strength you shown ruling in your parents absence. 

Abigail meets the goddess eyes, “I accept the offer”.

Kronos speaks “Your house and kingdom is now protected by myself and the others, rule the people well and justly”. 

They all disappear.

The next day Aaron and Robert wake up in their bed and look around them 

“You do realise we rule the entire planet from what is essentially Home Farm in the other place” says Aaron laughing.

“It’s some what surreal, for sure”, says Robert.

“I just figured something out that has been bugging me from before we woke up” says Aaron 

“What’s that then”, ask Robert 

“Rebecca’s potion she must have been allowed it to balance out mum and dad coming with us, and my spell must have latched on to it, clearly Hecate gave her permission to bring it because she knew my spell would cause her harm either way, and she knew when you said no she had to stop, she must have been told about that”.

“Your dream at Christmas, do you think my spell did that, or was it one of our guardians that did that?” Ask Aaron 

“I don’t know, could be or it may have been Kronos the timing of it was impeccable, in a way it forced us to do what needed to be done, no matter how unpleasant. A necessary step away from each other to eventually get back together. Kronos, Gaia and Hecate will have known we would go to another world they clearly was given permission to help us by Zeus all those years ago. 

They were our protectors even then, they must have sent the fates to us” says Aaron .

“So have you worked out if you are a witch, spark or Druid yet”, Aaron ask Robert.

Robert sits up in bed sees a glass of water on the bedside table and thinks float which the glass does “Guess I’m a spark, the highest magical grade outside of the royal family”.

 

“You still have years of training ahead of you to master it”, says Aaron 

“I’m genuinely looking forward to it, being a werewolf is great but active powers is amazing”.

Aaron gets a knowing smile on his face “As we were so exhausted last night I need my mate to ravish me, no more talking”

Robert smiles seductively “My king”, he says kissing Aaron’s hard and letting his hands explode his body, Robert makes love to him slowly enjoying every part of him, after two rounds they fall asleep.

Aaron wakes up see to see Robert deep in thought “What’s wrong” he ask

“Since I was on that plane, and you made your wish how many days do you think that was?”

‘I don’t know I would say anywhere between two and maybe five, which means two to five years have passed in the other world. By the time a year as pass in this world they all would have been dead for centuries”, says Aaron sadly thinking of Liv who didn’t even remember him now.

“You can still have all the memories of there taken it’s not too late for that” says Aaron 

“Not while it’s your time to rule, I will keep them perhaps when Abigail is on the throne who knows”

“Speaking of Abigail our thirteen year old daughter ruled a whole world while we were away”.

“I’m really proud of her for doing it, I wish she didn’t have to but she did”.

They got up had a quick shower, got dress and walk into the dining room to find Abigail and their parents and the other Dingles there. 

“Chas indicate to the footman he can start serving the breakfast now, the footman looks at Aaron who nods. 

Aaron and Robert and Abigail followed by Chas and Paddy were served first followed by everyone else. 

Everyone wanted to know what the other world was like and if there was a version of them there and what they were like. When Jack ask if there was a version of him and Aarons mum and dad said no, he realises that everyone with memories of the other Jack had it erase except him for some reason, he knew what Roberts wish was, he didn’t know why he was the only one to remember it. 

They had a weeks vacation just them and Abigail at the Mill lake house, they just wanted to spent alone time with just them as a family. 

Robert practiced his new magic skills and the whole family turned into wolves on the full moon, Robert and Abigail because of the pull of the moon and Aaron because his gramps taught him a spell where he can turn into any animal he wishes.

Six months after they return back home Aaron gave birth to a beautiful alpha baby boy and a curly hair blue eyed omega girl. 

Chas and Paddy had to wait three more months for their little girl to be born but they didn’t mind they called her grace, they understood now both of them not being from that world their child couldn’t survive being born there.

Ruling at times were hard and the people didn’t always like change but Aaron and Robert bough in a lot of changes. They got a social care system set up which was barely needed but it was there to safe guard the vulnerable. They put police in place who answered to the councils of regional princess and princes as it was on there watch someone was able to recruit followers and forced people to do their bidding. 

 

When Abigail got married on her twenty first birthday, they were excited to be there to witness it with their other children

They ruled for one hundred and fifty years before handing the crown over to their daughter, who now looked like someone in their early twenties while they barely looked a day over thirty and Chas and Paddy looked the exact same as before.

When they became grandparents, the grandkids became their world, their memories of the other Emmerdale stayed with them and they both knew now was the time was right to remove them, Abigail was crowned and she would lead the fighting now and she still had knowledge of it..

After discussing his decision with his mum and dad, Chas and Paddy decided to remove their memories as well, it was time to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for coming on this journey with me and the kudos. On tumbl@rosey516


End file.
